site! 


Typ.  BnicslMeyci 


;::.::  :    THE  WOLVES. 


FAGGOTS 


FOR    THE 


FIRESIDE 


OR 


FACT    AND    FANCY, 


BY 


PETER  PARLEY. 


ILLUSTRATED    BY    ENGRAVINGS. 


NEW-YORK, 

D     APPLETON   AND  CO, 

M  DCCC  LV. 


(o 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  Year  1851,  by  S.  G. 
Goodrich,  in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  court  of  the  Southern 
District  of  New-York. 


CONTENTS, 


INTRODUCTION 7 

THE    BOY    CAPTIVE 

THE   WHITE   OWL 77 

THOMAS  TITMOUSE 85 

THE   WOLF    AND    FOX..     .     .          l05 

BOB    LINK 107 

AUTOBIOGRAPHY    OF    A   SPARROW Ill 

THE    CHILDREN    OF   THE    SUN 126 

THE   SOLDIER   AND    FIDDLER 258 

THE    RICH   MAN    AND    HIS   SON 203 

FLINT    AND    STEEL 275 

THE   AVALANCHE 303 

SONGS   OF   THE   SEASONS 307 


LIST   OF    ENGRAVINGS. 


THE   WOLVES.  —  FRONTISPIECE.     .     .    (SEE   P.    29  o)  . 

THE   COTTAGE    BURNT.       —      TO    FACE  PAGE 13 

SHOOTING    FISH » 37 

THE  LAKE » ^ 

JUMPING    RABBIT   AND    THE    BEAR.    .    » 43 

THE    BUFFALO    HUNT » 53 

THE  WHITE   OWL » 77 

CHICAMA   AND    RUNA » •  139 

CHICAMA,    RUNA    AND    THE   JAGUAR.     »    .     » 187 

RUNA   AND    PIZARRO » 239 

THE    CONCERT »                •     * 2G1 

THE   AVALANCHE » 303 


FAGGOTS    FOR   THE   FIRESIDE, 


OR 


FACT  AND  FANCY. 


INTRODUCTION. 


Come,  Girls  and  Boys  —  Black  Eyes  and  Blue  - 
And  hear  a  story  told  for  you. 
Lay  down  your  books,  John,  Tom,  and  Rob  — 
Be  seated,  if  you  please.  No  laughing,  Bob  ! 
Just  stir  the  fire,  Ben.     Steady  —  steady ! 
Hand  me  my  specs,  Jane.     So  —  all's  ready! 
There  go  the  tongs  again,  slam  bang, 
And  pussy's  tail  has  got  a  whang ! 
Poor  puss  —  be  wise  —  of  boys  beware, 
And  keep  your  tail  with  better  care. 
Sit  still  now,  all,  and  hear  the  story 
Old  Parley's  rhyme  would  set  before  ye. 

The  bright  New  Year  has  come ;  and  though 
The  night  is  dark,  and  chill  winds  blow; 

1 


8  FAGGOTS    FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

Though  icy  fetters  bind  the  river; 
Though  in  the  blast  the  stern  oaks  shiver; 
Though  the  lone  wolf  with  cold  is  howling, 
And  the  starved  fox  abroad  is  prowling; 
Still  by  the  fireside  warm  we  sit, 
And  crack  our  nuts,  or  crack  our  wit; 
Tell  of  the  past,  the  future  scan, 
And  laugh  or  sing,  as  suits  our  plan. 
Well  —  let  us  not  the  hour  abuse  — 
We  listen  to  the  New  Year's  Muse ! 

His  days  are  fled  —  Old  Fifty-Four ! 
And  nought  is  left  save  memory's  store  : 
A  mingled  heap  of  bread  and  honey, 
Of  sweet  and  bitter,  sad  and  funny! 

These  things  we  pass,  and  ask  you,  Jane, 
What  you  have  done  this  year.     Speak  plain ! 
Nay,  do  not  snicker,  boys  —  your  turn 
Will  come  in  time  —  nor  spurn 
The  simple  question;  for  'tis  wise 
That  each  should  backward  cast  his  eyes, 
Noting  his  track,  its  means  and  ends, 
And  where  his  beaten  pathway  tends. 
No  answer,  Jane?     Well,  we  must  try 
These  boys. — Come,  Robert!     No  reply? 
Why,  all  can  smile  while  other  backs 
Feel  the  keen  lash  that  satire  cracks ; 
But  when  to  your  own  case  we  come, 
Why,  every  little  mouth  is  mum! 


INTRODUCTION.  9 

Well,  well,  fair  friends,  we  will  not  ply  it  : 
We  leave  the  question  —  but  you'll  try  it. 
In  some  still  hour,  look  well  within, 
And  if  you  find  some  cherished  sin, 
Drive  out  the  monster,  and  let  virtue  in! 

The  Past  year  scanned,  we  turn  to  view 
The  promise  given  by  the  New. 
Winter,  spring,  summer,  autumn,  rise, 
In  lengthened  vision  to  our  eyes, 
And,  hiding  every  thorn,  disclose, 
Each  one,  some  favorite  wreath  or  rose. 


Winter,  stern  winter,  hides  the  tear 
That  tells  of  tingling  nose  and  car; 
O'er  starving  groups  it  throws  a  veil, 
Drowns  the  lost  traveller's  dying  wail ; 
And  only  brings  to  mind  the  sleigh, 
Its  merry  bells  and  trappings  gay; 
The  sportive  skater  lightly  gliding; 
The  hoiden  schoolboy  fondly  sliding; 
The  coaster  down  the  hill-side  plying; 
The  snow-balls  thick  as  hailstones  flying. 
And  when  the  joyous  day  is  o'er, 
The  crafty  showman  shuts  the  door, 
And  brings  to  view  the  fireside  scene, 
Where  Old  Bob  Merry's  Magazine 
Tells  tales  of  many  lands,  and  wiles 
From  grave  and  gay  their  choicest  smiles! 


10  FAGGOTS    FOR    THE     FIRESIDE. 

Spring,  fickle  Spring,  as  keen  as  Blitz*, 
Says  nought  of  March  —  its. stormy  fits,— 
How  oft  the  morning  comes  like  May, 
Giving  fair  promise  of  the  day, 
While  yet,  ere  night,  the  wild  winds  roar. 
And  down  the  myriad  snow-flakes  pour. 
Nothing  she  says  of  mud  like  paste, 
Nothing  of  freshet  laying  waste; 
But  much  she  talks  of  April  showers, 
That  bring,  or  ought  to  bring,  May  flowers,- 
Which  boys  and  girls,  on  May-day  morn, 
Oft  seek  in  vain  'mid  bush  and  thorn! 


Summer,  as  wily  as  the  rest, 
Hides  half  its  tale,  but  tells  the  best. 
It  speaks  of  meadows  blooming  fair, 
Of  new  mown  hay  that  scents  the  air, 
Of  singing  birds  and  murmuring  bees, 
But  nothing  says  of  bugs  and  fleas, 
Of  serpents  gliding  where  you  tread, 
Of  sly  mosquitoes  round  your  bed, 
Of  parching  heat  that  melts  by  day, 
And  keeps  at  night  sweet  sleep  away!  — 

Autumn  advances,  decked  in  smiles, 
Bringing  us  fruit  in  ample  piles  — 


*  All   our  readers  will  understand  that  signer  Blitz,  the  famous  con 
uror,  in  here  alluded  to. 


INTRODUCTION.  11 

Grapes,  apples,  peaches,  pears,  all  mellow 
And  luscious.     What  a  charming  fellow! 
And  now  the  forest,  like  a  queen, 
He  robes  in  yellow,  red,  and  green ; 
But  soon  he  changes,  and  his  breath 
Strews  the  torn  leaves  in  beds  of  death ; 
The  forests  tremble  in  the  fray, 
And  the  earth  yields  to  Winter's  sway. 

Such  are  the  seasons  as  they  pass; 
Yet,  mirrored  in  youth's  magic  glass, 
The  good  alone  is  brought  to  light, 
And  evil's  hidden  from  the  sight. 
As  distant  mountains,  robed  in  blue, 
Rise  soft  and  rounded  to  the  view. 
Their  blasted  peaks  with  azure  crowned, 
All  turned  to  seeming  fairy  ground  : 
So  life  —  a  land  of  promise  —  lies 
Outspread  to  youth's  believing  eyes. 

0  happy  morn  of  life  !  sweet  spring 
Of  coming  years !  Say,  who  shall  fling 
A  cloud  across  so  fair  a  sky? 
Nay  —  not  on  New  Year's  day  shall  I 
Chafe  your  blithe  hearts  —  your  humor  chide  — 
So  put  the  chairs  and  stools  aside. 
We'll  have  a  game  of  blind-man's  buff, 
Then  nuts  and  apples,  till  you  say  "  Enough  !  " 
Well,  fun  and  feast  are  o'er;  but  ere 
We  part,  Old  Parley's  counsel  hear ! 


FAGGOTS     FOR   THE     FIRESIDE. 

I  spoke  of  Youth,  when  all  seems  bright, 

And  seasons  fly  on  wings  of  light; 

When  Hope  and  Love,  with  magic  art, 

Turn  all  to  beauty  in  the  heart. 

So  be  your  lives  —  a  path  of  flowers ; 

So  be  your  souls  —  bright  as  the  hours  : 

The  evil  shun,  the  good  pursue  ; 

Be  happy  —  but  be  pure  and  true  ! 

Have  you  not  seen  the  bee  that  plies 

His  wing?    From  flower  to  flower  he  flies; 

The  nightshade,  and  the  foxglove  gay 

He  visits,  for  they  throng  his  way  : 

Yet  such  his  art,  he  shuns  the  ill, 

And  only  gathers  honey,  still. 

Do  the  you  same;  from  mingled  shade  and  light 

Draw  good  alone.— And  now,  sweet  friends,  good  night! 


Typ.  Ernesl{Mcy< 


THE     L0(i      CAHLN     HI  It  NT. 


THE  BOY  CAPTIVE 


OR 


JUMPING   RABBIT'S  STORY. 


CHAPTER    I. 

The  beginning.  —  My  earliest  recollections.  —  My  home.  — 
My  parents.  —  A  fearful  scene. 


Kind  Reader,  as  you  and  I  are  about  to  take  a 
ramble  together,  I  beg  leave  to  settle  one  or  two 
points  at  the  outset. 

In  the  first  place,  then,  I  shall  tell  you  my  story 
in  a  very  simple,  plain  way;  for  the  circumstances 
of  my  life  have  qualified  me  to  speak  in  no  other 
fashion. In  the  next  place,!  shall  endeavour  to  make 
my  story  the  means  of  giving  you  some  useful  infor 
mation.  I  have  been  a  wanderer  over  the  Far  West; 
have  seen  the  rivers,  the  mountains,  the  valleys, 
the  wild  animals,  the  tribes  of  Indians  that  are 


•it**44:  *        AFAGGOTS  FOR   THE    FIRESIDE 

there;  I  have  crossed  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  stood 
upon  the  shore  of  the  broad  Pacific;  and  I  have 
thus  picked  up  a  good  deal  of  information. 

While,  therefore,  I  shall  give  you  an  account  of 
my  adventures,  I  shall  endeavour  to  make  you  ac 
quainted  with  some  matters  relating  to  the  geogra 
phy,  the  natural  history,  and  the  manners  and  cus 
toms  of  the  great  West.  Thus,  while  I  try  to  amuse 
you,  I  shall  try  also  to  give  you  some  little  know 
ledge.  I  hope  this  arrangement  will  suit  you;  for 
if  I  give  you  cake,  to  which  I  compare  tales  of  ad 
venture,  you  should  be  content  to  take,  now  and 
then,  a  slice  of  solid  bread  and  butter,  to  which  I 
compare  such  useful  matters  as  geography  and  na 
tural  history. 

And  now  to  begin.  At  the  period  of  my  earliest 
recollection,  I  must  have  been  about  six  years  old. 
My  father  was  then  living  on  the  White  river,  nearly 
one  hundred  miles  west  of  the  Mississippi  river,  and 
in  what  is  now  the  state  of  Arkansas.  His  house, 
which  was  only  a  log  cabin,  was  four  or  five  miles 
from  any  other  white  man's  dwelling.  There  was 
no  town  or  village  in  that  quarter;  excepting  a  few 
scattered  settlers  here  and  there,  the  country  was 


THE    BOY    CAPTIVE.  15 

still  uninhabited,  save  by  native  wild  animals,  or 
roving  tribes  of  Indians. 

The  latter  were  at  peace  with  the  whites  for  a 
long  period,  and  therefore  we  had  no  fear  of  them. 
We  frequently  saw  parties  of  Indian  hunters,  and 
occasionally  considerable  numbers  came  into  the 
region  where  we  dwelt.  They  often  visited  our 
cabin,  but  never  gave  us  any  annoyance.  But  the 
time  arrived  when  a  change  took  place.  We  heard 
fearful  stories  of  Indian  massacres,  and  more  than 
one  family,  in  the  region  where  we  lived,  were  en 
tirely  cut  off. 

I  remember  that  one  night  my  father  came  home, 
and  told  my  mother  that  a  party  of  Kickapoos  had 
been  in  the  neighborhood,  and  killed  every  member 
of  the  family  which  lived  nearest  to  us.  He,  of 
course,  expected  they  would  be  upon  us  before  morn 
ing!  What  was  now  to  be  done?  The  number  of 
the  savages  was  over  a  dozen,  and  it  seemed  quite 
hopeless  to  attempt  either  resistance  or  escape.  If 
we  were  to  fortify  the  house,  we  might  make  a  brief 
defence,  and  kill  a  few  of  the  enemy,  but  we  must 
yield  at  last,  and  fall  into  the  hands  of  our  exaspera 
ted  foe.  If  we  were  to  fly,  the  savages,  keen  as 

2 


16  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

«• 

bloodhounds  in  following  their  prey,  would  soon 
track  us  out,  and  we  should  become  their  easy  vic 
tims. 

People  who  are  brought  up  in  quiet  and  secure 
towns,  free  from  the  dangers  of  the  wilderness,  and 
who  only  hear  of  adventures  with  the  Indians,  can 
hardly  appreciate  the  feelings  of  those  who  are  inu 
red  to  every  species  of  danger  and  trial.  I  remem 
ber  the  looks  of  my  father  and  mother  upon  that  fear 
ful  night,  when  they  expected  the  savages  to  be  upon 
their  dwelling  in  a  few  hours,  and  to  see  themselves 
and  their  children  become  the  victims  of  their  bloody 
vengeance.  They  were  brave  people,  and,  though 
their  countenances  looked  troubled,  there  was  more 
of  courage  than  fear  in  their  faces. 

There  were  four  of  us  children  :  my  brother  Dick, 
about  fourteen  years  old;  my  sister  Jane,  two  years 
younger,  and  little  Harry,  a  year  younger  than  my 
self.  The  decision  of  our  parents  being  to  fortify 
the  house  and  make  the  best  defence  in  their  power, 
we  were  all,  except  Harry,  employed  in  the  prepa 
rations.  The  latter  was  the  only  one  who  did  not 
comprehend  what  was  going  on.  While  the  rest  of 
us  were  busy  in  bringing  in  the  axes,  hoes,  spades, 


THE   BOY    CAPTIVE.  1 

and  other  implements  capable  of  being  used  for  a 
deadly  encounter,  Harry  was  running  about,  seeming 
to  enjoy  the  flurry  and  rejoice  in  the  spirit  of  activity 
that  animated  the  scene. 

Everything  that  could  be  done  for  defence  was  at 
last  accomplished.  The  windows  were  strongly  bar 
red;  the  door  was  barricadoed;  the  wide-mouthed 
chimney,  down  which  an  Indian  might  easily  have 
slid,  was  defended  by  large  sticks  crossed  and  jam 
med  into  the  crevices  of  the  stone  work  of  the  fire 
place.  Near  the  door  sat  our  dog,  Tiger;  he  was 
stretched  upon  his  belly  at  full  length  on  the  floor, 
with  his  chin  between  his  extended  fore-legs.  He 
was  not  asleep,  for  it  was  evident  that  he  understood 
that  something  fearful  was  in  the  wind.  An  erect 
fore-corner  of  his  ear  showed  that  he  was  listening 
intently;  and  his  eye,  steadily  bent  toward  the  door, 
betokened  the  expectation  of  danger  in  that  direction. 

My  father  loaded  the  old  gun,  now  our  chief  hope, 
with  care;  he  picked  the  flint,  examined  the  priming, 
looked  at  his  stock  of  powder  and  ball;  and  now,  as 
if  everything  was  prepared,  he  sat  down.  I  re 
member  how  he  looked ,  when  he  turned  round  and 
glanced  at  my  mother  and  us  children.  I  remember 


18  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

how  she  looked  too.  My  father's  lips  trembled ,  and 
his  eyes  seemed  to  grow  dim,  for  he  lifted  his  hand 
and  brushed  it  across  his  brow;  but  in  a  moment 
he  looked  again  at  his  priming,  glanced  at  old  Tiger, 
fixed  his  eye  on  the  door  and  sat  still.  His  face 
now  became  as  stern  as  marble.  My  mother  sat 
on  a  bench  in  one  corner,  and  we  children  be 
hind  her  upon  the  floor.  By  her  side  was  an  axe. 
She  was  very  pale,  and  her  eye  turned  often,  first  on 
father  and  then  up  to  Heaven.  Once  in  a  while ,  she 
looked  round  on  us,  and  especially  upon  little  Harry, 
with  a  long  gaze,  as  if  it  might  be  her  last ,  and  then 
a  kind  of  shudder  came  over  her.  I  think  my  mother 
was  a  very  beautiful  woman,  for  never  in  any  dream 
has  anything  so  like  an  angel  visited  my  fancy,  as  my 
faint  remembrances  of  my  mother  in  that  fearful  hour. 
Her  eyes  were  blue,  her  hair  light,  and  her  whole 
appearance  soft  and  gentle.  Never  did  she  seem  so 
gentle  as  when  she  looked  around  on  us;  yet,  as  she 
gazed  on  the  axe  at  her  side,  and  stole  a  glance  around 
upon  the  defences  of  our  little  fort,  her  look  changed, 
and  she  had  the  aspect  of  a  hero. 

We  sat  for  more  than  an  hour  in  breathless  silence. 
Every  ear  was  stretched  to  catch  the  slightest  sound , 


.  ;  THE    BOY    CAPTIVE.  19 

until  the  effort  bacame  painful.  At  last,  Tiger  lifted 
his  head  and  uttered  a  low  growl.  In  an  instant  af 
ter,  he  sprang  to  his  feet,  his  eye  glittering  like  fire, 
every  muscle  of  his  body  being  stretched  for  action. 
My  father  looked  through  a  crevice  he  had  left  for  ob 
servation.  It  was  a  clear  moonlight  night,  and  soon 
he  saw  four  dusky  figures  gliding  through  the  edge  of 
the  adjacent  forest.  He  turned  to  mother,  and  said,  in 
a  firm  tone,  "  They  are  coming!"  She  reached  for 
the  axe ;  I  saw  her  fingers  tremble  as  she  grasped  it. 
Dick,  with  a  stout  club,  moved  forward  and  stood  by 
my  father.  He  was  a  noble  fellow;  black-eyed, 
black-haired,  and  daring  as  a  wild-cat.  His  look 
gave  tone  and  courage  to  us  all.  He  was  stout  for  his 
years,  and  as  he  turned  round  to  look  at  the  group  in 
the  corner,  there  was  something  in  his  manner  which 
seemed  to  say,  —  < '  You  shall  have  a  brave  defence  ! " 
I  saw  the  tears  come  in  mother's  eyes;  but  it  was  not 
from  fear. 

There  was  silence  for  some  time ,  when  suddenly 
the  most  fearful  yell  burst  upon  our  ears  !  It  seemed 
to  come  from  a  hundred  voices,  and  filled  the  forest 
with  its  terrific  echoes.  The  scream  of  the  panther 
is  not  so  terrible  as  the  war-cry  of  the  savage,  espe- 


20  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIUESIDE. 

cially  when  heard  at  night,  and  by  those  who  are  ex 
posed  to  his  fury.  Nearer  and  nearer  came  the  yell, 
and  at  last  we  heard  the  enemy  around  our  dwelling. 

My  father,  who  kept  his  eye  steady  at  the  crevice, 
now  slowly  thrust  the  muzzle  of  his  gun  through  the 
hole,  and  taking  a  deliberate  aim,  he  fired.  There 
was  one  wild  shriek,  a  heavy  fall,  a  brisk  scampering, 
and  then  a  death-like  silence.  This  continued  for 
some  time,  when  again  the  war-whoop  burst  from 
the  forest,  and  at  least  a  dozen  savages  immediately 
surrounded  our  dwelling.  They  encompassed  it  with 
dry  leaves  and  branches,  and  set  them  on  fire.  In  a 
few  minutes  the  smoke  began  to  fill  the  room,  and 
shortly  the  outside  of  our  little  cabin  was  wrapped  in 
a  sheet  of  flame! 

Up  to  this  time,  my  remembrance  of  the  scene  is 
very  distinct;  but  what  immediately  followed,  I  can 
not  clearly  recall.  I  have  a  faint  recollection,  or 
fancy,  of  my  father,  rushing  out  through  the  blaze, 
and  struggling  with  a  tall  Indian  in  the  flames,  till 
they  both  fell  exhausted  and  involved  in  the  confla 
gration.  I  have  a  dim  remembrance  of  my  mother, 
bursting  out  through  the  falling  timbers,  carrying  little 
Harry  on  her  back,  and  leading  Jane  and  myself 


THE    BOY    CAPTIVE.  21 

through  the  flames.  But  I  was  suffocated  with  smoke 
and  overwhelmed  with  the  terrors  of  the  scene. 
From  this  point  my  memory  of  that  dreadful  night  is 
a  blank  —  save  one  incident  alone.  Old  Tiger  and 
Dick  went  before  my  mother,  as  if  they  were  her  pe 
culiar  guard.  The  poor  dog  was  dreadfully  singed, 
for  he  had  already  had  one  or  two  deadly  tussles  with 
the  Indians  in  the  flames.  The  long  silken  hair  of 
his  ears  and  tail  was  burnt  off,  and  the  latter  stuck 
out  straight  and  stiff,  looking  actually  as  if  it  had 
been  a  cooked  sausage.  In  that  fearful  hour,  I  re 
member  to  have  thought  that  it  had  quite  a  ludicrous 
appearance. 

The  poor  dog,  howercr,  had  his  senses  about 
him,  and  kept  with  my  mother  and  Dick,  till  we 
had  proceeded  a  considerable  distance.  We  were 
concealed  from  the  view  of  the  Indians  by  a  dense 
cloud  of  smoke,  that  rolled  between  us  and  them. 
We  had  not  gone  far,  however,  before  we  were 
discovered,  and  two  savages  immediately  pursued 
us.  Coming  up  with  us,  they  fell  upon  Dick,  who 
defended  himself  for  a  time,  but  receiving  a  blow 
upon  the  head,  he  was  laid  prostrate  on  the  earth. 
Tiger,  half  dead  as  he  was,  sprang  upon  his  body, 


FAGGOTS     FOU     THE     FIRESIDE. 

and  stood  erect  for  his  defence.  One  of  the  savages 
struck  him  over  the  head,  and,  with  a  sad  moan,  the 
poor  creature  lay  dead  by  the  side  of  his  master. 
A  sickness  now  came  over  me.  I  tottered,  and  fell 
unconscious  to  the  ground. 


CHAPTER  II. 

I  am  carried  to  an  Indian  village.  —  The  scene  described.  — 
Am  insulted  by  the  young  Indians.— They  get  well  punished. 
Painful  thoughts. 

I  no  not  know  how  long  it  was  after  the  scene  I 
have  described,  when  I  so  far  recovered  my  senses  as 
to  notice  the  objects  around  me.  When  my  con 
sciousness  returned,  I  was  lying  on  the  ground,  and 
no  one  appeared  to  be  near  me.  I  attempted  to  rise , 
and  nearly  got  upon  my  feet,  when  I  became  giddy, 
and  was  obliged  to  sit  down.  I  was  distressed  with 
a  pain  in  the  head  and  a  burning  thirst. 

I  now  saw  at  a  little  distance  a  group  of  Indians, 
and  about  the  same  time  one  of  them  noticed  me. 
He  spoke  and  pointed  to  me,  upon  which  an  Indian 


THE    BOY    CAPTIVE.  23 

woman  and  two  children  ran  towards  me.  I  held 
out  my  hands  and  begged  them  to  have  pity  on  me. 
The  woman  spoke  to  me,  but  I  could  not  understand 
her.  The  children,  who  were  Indians,  and  fierce- 
looking  creatures,  stood  at  a  little  distance  for  a  time, 
as  if  afraid  of  me.  Pretty  soon  they  came  nearer, 
and  in  order  to  discover  what  kind  of  an  animal  I 
might  be,  one  of  them  took  a  stick  and  gave  me  a 
pretty  sharp  poke  in  my  back. 

I  writhed  and  groaned,  for  it  hurt  me;  but  this 
only  made  the  young  Indians  laugh.  The  woman 
scolded  them,  however,  and  as  the  youngsters  gave 
me  another  poke,  she  flew  toward  them,  and 
aimed  a  blow  with  her  hand  at  the  head  of  the  ag 
gressor.  It  missed,  howerer,  and  the  two  imps  ran 
langhing  to  a  distance.  There,  in  safety,  they  stood 
gibbering  and  jeering,  like  two  monkeys,  till  the  wo 
man,  in  a  rage,  set  out  after  them;  but  diving  into 
a  thicket,  the  young  rogues  easily  escaped  and  disap 
peared. 

The  woman  now  helped  me  upon  my  legs,  and 
took  me  to  a  tent,  around  which  were  several  In 
dians,  mostly  women  and  children.  I  noticed  also 
several  other  tents,  and  knew  that  I  was  in  an  In- 

3 


24  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

clian  village,  or  encampment.  How  I  had  been 
brought  hither,  I  did  not  know,  nor  did  I  ever  after 
wards  ascertain.  It  is  probable,  howerer,  that  it 
was  by  the  care  of  the  Indian  woman,  in  whose  charge 
I  now  was.  She  took  me  into  a  tent,  and  procured 
me  some  water.  This  refreshed  me  greatly,  and  I 
was  soon  able  to  take  notice  of  the  things  around 
me. 

The  tent  was  made  of  dried  deerskins ,  and  was 
supported  by  poles  about  twelve  feet  long.  The 
whole  tent  was  about  fourteen  feet  across.  There 
were  in  it,  a  few  skins  of  bears  and  buffaloes ,  a  bow 
and  some  arrows,  two  or  three  gourd-shells,  a  small 
brass  kettle,  a  buffalo's  pate  with  the  horns  attached, 
a  bunch  of  long,  crooked  bear's  claws,  and  a  bundle 
of  human  scalps.  These  were  all  the  articles  I  no 
ticed. 

After  a  white  I  felt  very  sleepy,  and  lying  down, 
I  had  a  long  nap.  When  I  awoke,  I  felt  nearly  well, 
and  went  to  look  out  of  the  tent.  There  were,  at 
least,  fifty  tents  around,  occupying  a  space  of  several 
acres,  upon  the  edge  of  a  small  prairie,  bordered  by 
forests.  The  scene  was  quite  lively ;  for  two  or  three 
hundred  Indians  were  before  me,  nearly  all,  however, 


THE     BOY    CAPTIVE. 

being  women,  children,  and  old  men.  I  was  afraid 
to  go  forth,  and  was  about  to  creep  back  into  the 
tent,  when  the  woman  before  mentioned  came ,  and 
taking  me  by  the  arm,  led  me  out. 

I  was  very  soon  surrounded  by  a  host  of  people, 
and  such  a  chattering  I  never  heard  before.  A  ring 
was  formed  around  me,  and  every  one  seemed  to  have 
something  to  say.  If  I  had  been  a  new  monster  un 
der  the  sun,  there  could  not  have  been  more  wonder 
expressed.  I  imagine  that  they  treated  me  very 
much  as  a  parcel  of  Boston  boys  would  treat  a  young 
alligator,  should  they  happen  to  catch  one  I  looked 
in  the  faces  of  many  of  these  persons,  but  I  saw  not 
one  look  of  kindness.  At  lasi  a  boy  about  my  own 
age,  who  had  a  small  bow  in  his  hand,  shot  an  arrow 
at  me,  which,  being  pointed  with  a  bit  of  sharp  iron, 
entered  the  flesh  of  my  arm.  A  moment  after,  two 
or  three  of  the  little  savages  set  upon  me,  and  began 
to  tear  off  my  clothes.  They  pulled  me  hither 
and  thither,  and  in  a  short  space  I  was  entirely  na 
ked. 

For  a  time,  I  made  no  resistance,  for  I  had  an  idea 
that  natural  pity  would  teach  even  these  creatures  to 
spare  one  so  helpless  as  myself.  But  finding  that 


^O  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

they  had  no  pity,  my  anger  began  to  rise ;  and  when 
the  boy  who  had  shot  his  arrow  into  my  arm ,  came 
up  and  began  to  pinch  me,  I  struck  him  by  the  side 
of  his  head,  and  he  went  reeling  and  tumbling,  like 
a  smitten  nine-pin,  upon  the  ground.  This  caused 
a  loud  laugh,  and  I  saw  that  a  feeling  of  interest  and 
respect  was  instantly  created  in  my  behalf  by  my  re 
sistance.  This  taught  me  a  lesson,  and  instead  of 
waiting  for  Indian  pity  and  sympathy,  I  determined 
to  obtain  the  regard  of  my  captors  by  my  spirit. 
When,  therefore,  the  little  imps  set  upon  me  again, 
as  they  very  soon  did,  they  paid  dearly  for  it.  I  was 
very  strong  and  active  for  my  age,  and  when,  at  last, 
an  Indian  lad,  much  larger  than  myself,  came  softly 
behind  me,  and  gave  my  hair  a  twich,  I  turned  to 
punish  him. 

The  fellow  fled  and  I  pursued.  The  ring  opened 
to  give  him  space,  and  he  struck  into  the  littlo  plain 
encircled  by  the  tents.  I  hung  close  at  his  heels. 
It  was  a  tight  race,  and  such  yells  broke  from  the 
congregation  of  Indians  as  I  had  never  imagined. 
The  fellow  went  nearly  across  the  plain,  and,  dod 
ging  this  way  and  that,  sought  to  throw  me  off.  A* 
length  he  passed  round  one  of  the  tents,  and  retur 


THE    BOY    CAPTIVE.  27 

ned  toward  the  point  from  which  we  started.  I  follo 
wed,  and  finally,  just  as  he  reached  the  ring,  I  seized 
his  hair,  and  gave  it  a  jerk  which  made  him  yell  like 
a  catamount.  This  completely  sealed  my  triumph. 
The  looks  of  contempt  around,  were  exchanged  for 
those  of  admiration,  and  I  was  borne  back  to  my  tent 
with  shouts  of  praise  and  exultation. 

It  was  but  a  few  weeks  before  I  was  at  home  among 
the  Indians.  I  was  adopted  as  the  son  of  the  wo 
man  who  had  taken  care  of  me,  in  the  place  of  one 
she  had  lost.  By  degrees  I  became  accustomed  to 
Indian  sports  and  pastimes,  and  gradually  learned 
their  language.  I  was  generally  well  treated  after 
the  fashion  of  savage  life.  There  is  little  family  go 
vernment  among  these  people ;  everything  between 
the  children  is  settled  by  strength ;  those  principles 
of  kindness,  justice,  pity  and  tenderness  for  the  weak, 
which  are  so  strongly  incultated  among  civilized  peo 
ple,  being  unknown  to  them.  Matters  are  regulated 
very  much  as  between  animals  —  a  herd  of  bisons 
for  instance,  or  a  pack  of  wolves.  I  had,  therefore, 
to  fight  my  way,  and  being  very  strong,  I  not  only 
fared  pretty  well,  but  I  obtained  no  little  applause. 
At  first,  I  was  taunted  and  sneered  at  for  being  white, 


28  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE    FIRESIDE. 

but  I  always  punished  such  impudence,  and  at  last 
these  gibes  ceased. 

I  often  thought  of  my  father  and  mother,  my  sister 
and  brother,  and  longed  to  know  their  fate  —  for  I 
was  uncertain  whether  they  had  escaped  or  had  per 
ished,  on  that  fearful  night  in  which  pur  house  had 
been  reduced  to  ashes.  'Of  these  things,  however,  I 
could  obtain  no  information.  I  knew  too  little  of 
the  Indian  language  to  ask  questions,  which  often 
arose  in  my  own  mind.  Sometimes,  and  especially 
at  night,  the  thoughts  of  home  and  my  kindred  stole 
over  me,  and  the  tears  would  come  into  my  eyes; 
but  in  the  morning  these  painful  thoughts  would  sub 
side,  and  perhaps  be  fergotten  in  the  pursuit  of  pre 
sent  objects. 


CHAPTER    III. 

The  return  of  the  war  party.  —  Sports  and  festivities. 

After  I  had  been  about  a  month  in  the  village,  a 
swift  Indian,  despatched  by  the  varriors  who  had 
been  absent  on  an  expedition  against  some  distant 
tribes ,  came  in  and  announced  that  the  whole  party 


THE    BOY    CAPTIVE.  29 

were  near  at  hand,  and  would  enter  the  village  the 
folloving  morning.  Preparations  were  therefore  made 
to  receive  them. 

All  was  bustle  and  activity,  though  this  seemed 
to  consist  more  in  running  about,  and  chattering 
like  a  set  of  magpies,  than  anything  else.  The 
children  leaped,  frolicked,  shouted,  and  fought  mi 
mic  battles  as  well  as  real  ones,  in  which  they  bit, 
scratched,  kicked  and  pulled  hair,  in  honor  of  the 
coming  celebration.  The  women  went  about  from 
tent  to  tent,  talking  with  great  animation  and  kee 
ping  up  the  hum,  which  might  be  heard  at  the  far 
ther  extremity  of  the  village. 

Evening  at  last  came,  but  there  was  no  cessation 
of  the  excitement.  The  greater  part  of  the  night 
was  spent  in  talking,  squabbling,  dancing,  jumping, 
leaping  and  yelling.  At  length  the  morning  came, 
and  just  as  the  sun  was  rising,  an  Indian,  painted 
blue  and  red,  carrying  on  his  head  the  skin  taken 
from  the  pate  of  a  grizzly  bear,  was  seen  creeping 
along  in  the  edge  of  the  adjacent  wood.  He  was 
soon  followed  by  another,  painted  in  a  similar  man 
ner,  with  the  horns  and  pate  of  a  buffaloe  upon  his 
head.  Others  succeeded,  all  of  them  painted  and 


30  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

dressed  in  the  most  wild  and  fantastic  manner,  until 
about  a  hundred  warriors  had  gathered  in  the  thic 
kets  of  the  forest,  close  to  the  village. 

A  pause  of  at  least  half  an  hour  ensued.  All 
within  the  wood  was  silent,  and  not  a  trace  of  the 
savages  that  lurked  in  its  bosom,  could  be  discove 
red.  The  women,  children  and  old  men  of  the 
village  had  gathered  in  the  open  space  encircled  by 
the  tents,  where  they  awaited  the  coming  spectacle 
in  breathless  expectation. 

At  last,  a  wild  yell,  as  if  a  thousand  demons  filled 
the  air,  broke  from  the  forest.  In  an  instant  after, 
the  warriors  started  from  their  cover  and  ran  toward 
the  village  with  the  greatest  swiftness.  Approaching 
the  group  of  women  and  children,  they  formed 
themselves  in  a  circle  and  began  to  dance  in  a  most 
violent  manner.  They  leaped,  jumped,  ran,  bran 
dished  their  weapons,  screamed,  chattered,  and  ap 
peared  more  like  infernal  spirits  than  human  crea 
tures.  They  were  all  on  foot  except  about  a  dozen, 
who  were  on  horseback,  and  attired  in  the  most 
fantastic  manner.  These  rode  round  the  circle  with 
great  swiftness,  flourishing  their  long  spears,  and 
performing  a  sort  of  wild  mimic  battle. 


THE     BOY     CAPTIVE.  31 

Nothing  could  be  more  fierce  and  frightful  than 
the  whole  scene,  yet  the  women  and  children  were 
greatly  delighted,  and  evinced  their  ecstacy  by 
uproarious  acclamations.  The  warriors  were  excited 
by  the  applause  to  greater  feats,  and  for  about  an 
hour  they  kept  up  their  savage  revel.  They  seemed 
to  be  as  proud  of  their  greasy  paint  and  their  sa 
vage  foppery ,  as  a  well-dressed  company  of  militia 
marching  on  a  muster-day  through  one  of  our  vil 
lages.  A  bear's  or  buffalo's  pate  was  fully  equal  to 
a  cocked  hat;  a  rackoon's  or  oppossum's  hide  was 
equivalent  to  a  pair  of  epaulettes;  the  bow  and 
arrow  were  an  offset  to  the  sword. 

But  the  Indian  warriors  had  one  advantage  over 
our  training-day  soldiers.  They  had  been  in  actual 
service,  and  carried  with  them  evidences  of  their 
victory.  Several  of  them  bore  in  their  hands  large 
bundles  of  bloody  scalps,  which  they  had  taken  from 
their  enemies ,  and  these  they  flourished  in  the  faces 
of  the  admiring  spectators.  It  is  obvious  that  the 
same  vanity  and  foppery  which  are  found  in  the  fair- 
weather  soldiers  of  towns  and  cities,  belong  to  the 
savage  warriors  of  the  wilderness. 

At  length,  the  ceremony  was  over,  and  the  savages 


FAGGOTS   FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

dispersed  themselves  to  their  several  wigwams.  The 
next  day,  however,  they  had  a  great  exhibition, 
which  was  a  kind  of  war-dance ,  in  which  the  war 
riors  attempted  to  exhibit  their  several  battles  and 
exploits.  It  was  in  fact  a  sort  of  pantomime,  in 
which  several  of  the  Indians  displayed  great  powers 
of  mimicry.  Though  I  was  not  much  accustomed 
to  these  things,  I  understood  a  good  deal  of  what 
the  Indians  meant  by  their  performances. 

One  of  these  fellows  amused  me  very  much.  He 
seemed  to  be  fond  of  fun ,  and,  like  the  clown  in  a 
circus ,  appeared  to  think  more  of  making  a  laugh 
than  anything  else.  It  seemed  from  his  representa 
tion,  that,  on  one  occasion,  he  was  sent  to  spy 
out  the  situation  of  a  party  of  Indians,  whom  they 
intended  to  attack.  It  was  night,  and  as  he  was 
proceeding  along  a  deer  path  in  the  forest,  he 
chanced  to  see  a  skunk  immediately  before  him. 
The  creature  stood  still ,  and  positively  refused  to 
stir  a  step. 

The  Indian  hesitated  for  some  time  what  to  do, 
but  at  last  he  put  an  arrow  to  the  bowstring ,  and 
shot  the  impertinent  animal  to  the  heart.  The  air 
was,  however,  immediately  filled  with  the  creature's 


THE  BOY  CAPTIVE.  33 

effluvia,  and  the  Indians,  whom  the  spy  was  seeking, 
being  ever  on  the  watch,  were  startled  by  the  cir 
cumstance,  and  the  spy  himself  was  obliged  to  re 
treat  for  safety.  This  whole  story  was  easily  com 
prehended  from  the  admirable  mimicry  of  the  actor. 
Nothing  could  exceed  his  drollery,  except  the  ap 
plause  of  the  spectators.  He  seemed  to  have  the 
reputation  of  an  established  wag ,  for  he  could 
hardly  turn  his  eye,  or  crook  his  finger,  but  the 
action  was  followed  with  bursts  of  applause. 

There  was  one  thing  that  characterized  all  the 
warriors,  and  that  was  a  love  of  boasting  and  self- 
glorification.  Every  one  represented  himself  as  a 
hero  and  as  performing  the  most  wonderful  feats  of 
strength  and  valor.  Boasting,  I  suspect,  is  a  thing 
that  naturally  belongs  to  those  who  have  little  refine 
ment,  and  modesty  is  doubtless  the  fruit  of  those 
finer  sentiments  wich  belong  to  civilization. 

For  several  days  there  were  sports  and  festivities, 
and  every  one  seemed  to  give  himself  up  to  amuse 
ment.  The  warriors  had  brought  home  with  them  a 
young  Indian  prisoner,  who  was  about  eighteen  years 
old.  He  was  a  fine,  proud  looking  fellow,  and  when 
he  was  brought  out  and  encircled  by  all  the  Indians, 


34  FAGGOTS  FOR  THE  FIRESIDE. 

he  seemed  to  survey  them  with  a  kind  of  scorn.  He 
was  tied  to  a  stake,  and  the  young  Indians,  stationed 
at  a  certain  distance,  were  allowed  to  shoot  their 
arrows  at  him.  Several  of  them  hit  him,  and  the 
blood  trickled  freely  down  his  body.  He  stood  un 
moved,  however,  and  seemed  not  to  notice  the 
wounds.  The  women  then  surrounded  him,  and 
jeered  at  him,  making  mouths,  and  pinching  his 
flesh  and  punching  him  with  sharp  sticks. 

At  last,  it  was  determined  by  the  chiefs,  to 
let  him  loose  upon  the  prairie  and  give  him  a  chance 
of  escape.  The  warriors  were  to  pursue  him.  If 
he  was  retaken,  he  was  to  die;  if  he  outran  his 
pursuers,  he  was  to  have  his  liberty. 

The  prisoner  was  unbound  and  placed  at  the  dis 
tance  of  about  six  rods  in  advance  of  those  who 
were  to  pursue  him;  the  signal  was  given,  and  he 
departed.  He  seemed  fleet  as  the  mountain  deer, 
and  life  was  the  wager  for  which  he  ran.  He  was, 
however,  pursued  by  more  than  half  a  dozen  Indians, 
scarcely  less  lightfooted  than  himself.  He  struck 
across  the  prairie,  which  lay  stretched  out  for  sev 
eral  miles,  almost  as  level  as  the  sea  and,  in  the 
distance,  skirted  by  the  forest. 


THE  BOY  CAPTIVE.  35 

He  kept  in  advance  of  his  pursuers,  who  strained 
every  nerve  to  overtake  him.  On  he  flew,  casting 
an  occasional  glance  backward.  The  yells  broke 
often  from  his  pursuers,  but  he  was  silent.  It  was 
for  life  that  he  fled,  and  he  would  not  waste  a  breath. 
On  he  sped,  and  as  he  and  his  followers  seemed 
to  grow  less  and  loss  in  the  distance,  my  eyes 
grew  weary  of  the  scene.  But  such  was  the  inter 
est  that  I  felt  for  the  poor  fugitive,  that  I  kept  my 
gaze  bent  -upon  the  chase  for  almost  an  hour. 

The  Indians  seemed  at  last  in  the  remote  distance, 
to  be  dwindled  to  the  size  of  insects;  they  still 
strained  every  limb,  though  they  appeared  scarcely  to 
move ;  they  still  yelled  with  all  their  might,  but  only 
an  occasional  faint  echo  reached  our  ears.  At  last, 
the  fugitive  plunged  into  the  forest;  his  pursuers  fol 
lowed,  and  they  were  lost  to  the  view.  After  the 
lapse  of  several  hours,  the  pursuing  party  returned, 
without  their  prisoner.  He  was  at  liberty  in  the 
unbounded  forest! 


36  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Hunting  adventures. 

Some  time  now  passed  without  any  remarkable 
event.  After  a  hunting  or  war  expedition,  the  In 
dian  men  usually  spend  a  large  part  of  their  time 
in  idleness.  For  several  weeks  after  their  return, 
the  warriors  might  be  seen  stretched  at  full  length 
in  their  wigwams  upon  the  beds  of  skins,  and  often, 
during  the  day,  upon  the  bare  ground,  basking  in 
the  warm  sunshine. 

Thus  they  would  repose  day  and  night,  sleeping 
a  part  of  the  time,  and  dozing  away  the  rest  of  the 
hours.  When  hungry,  they  arose  and  ate  the  meal 
provided  for  them  by  the  women,  and  then  returned 
to  their  rest.  At  this  period,  they  seemed  like 
mere  animals,  such  as  wolves  or  foxes,  idly  slum 
bering  in  their  caves,  careless  of  the  past,  the  pre 
sent  and  the  future. 

Once  in  a  while  these  men  would  rouse  them 
selves  from  their  indolence ,  and  spend  a  night  in  a 
wild  war-dance,  or  in  othet  sports.  When  excited 
in  their  amusements,  they  shook  off  their  lethargy 


^R^S^lPfsss^ssl 

SIIOOTINC;     FISH. 


I'yp.  Krncsl  Mryi 


THE     BOY     CAPTIVE.  37 

and  seemed  totally  changed  from  the  stupid  beings 
which  they  appeared  to  be,  a  few  hours  before. 
Their  black  eyes  would  now  flash  with  fiery  excite 
ment;  their  parted  lips  would  display  their  white 
teeth;  their  long,  black  hair  would  stream  in  the 
wind ;  their  hands  and  arms  would  exhibit  the  most 
lively  gestures,  and  their  whole  form  seem  to  be 
animated  by  intense  excitement.  After  the  sport 
was  over,  these  warriors  would  relapse  into  the  same 
state  of  merely  animal  existence,  as  if  they  had  no 
minds,  no  cares,  no  plans,  no  fears  or  hopes. 

Thus  some  weeks  passed  away,  but  at  last,  it  be 
came  necessary  that  a  supply  of  food  should  be  ob 
tained.  It  is  true  that  small  game  was  obtained  by  the 
boys,  and  some  of  the  men,  almost  every  day.  This 
consisted  of  the  heath-hen,  Avhich  resembles  the 
partridge  or  pheasant  of  the  Atlantic  states;  black 
and  grey  squirrels,  rabbits  and  hares,  wild  turkeys, 
raccoons,  prairie  dogs,  etc.  These  creatures  were 
abundant,  and  I  often  accompanied  the  young  In 
dians  in  hunting  them. 

There  were  some  guns  and  rifles  in  the  tribe,  but 
the  chief  weapons  were  the  bows  and  arrows.  The 
boys  and  most  of  the  young  men  had  no  other.  It 


38  FAGGOTS    FOR     THE    FIRESIDE. 

was  surprising  to  see  with  what  precision  and  force 
the  arrows  were  thrown.  I  have  often  seen  a  squir 
rel,  perched  upon  the  limb  of  an  aged  tree  and  being 
nearly  a  hundred  feet  in  air,  look  down  as  if  to  laugh 
and  jeer  at  the  sportsman  below ;  when  the  arrow 
was  sent  from  the  string,  and,  striking  him  in  the 
head,  he  was  brought  whirling  and  sprawling  to  the 
ground. 

There  were  several  small  rivers  and  lakes  in  the 
neighbourhood,  and  some  of  them  were  stocked 
with  fish ;  the  shooting  of  them  with  the  bow  and 
arrow  was  a  favourite  sport  and  one  of  our  common 
means  of  subsistence. 

In  these  hunts  I  took  a  keen  delight;  and  such 
was  my  enterprise  and  success,  that  I  soon  became 
rather  famous  as  a  hunter  of  the  lesser  game.  My 
agility  in  pursuing  a  wounded  bird  or  quadruped, 
and  the  facility  with  which  I  threaded  the  tangled 
forests,  gave  me  the  title  of  Jumping  Rabbit,  which 
long  continued  to  be  my  name. 

In  these  hunts,  we  seldom  wandered  to  any  great 
distance  from  the  encampment,  and  rarely  remained 
out  over  night.  In  a  few  instances,  we  were  absent 
for  two  or  three  days,  and  extended  our  excursions 


THE     BOY     CAPTIVE. 


39 


to  the  distance  of  twenty  or  thirty  miles.  I  recol 
lect  that  in  one  of  these  expeditions  we  came  to 
a  considerable  lake,  entirely  surrounded  with 
dense  forests.  It  was  difficult  even  to  peep  through 
the  woods,  for  the  trees  stood  very  close  together, 
and  the  spaces  between  them  were  choked  up  with 
dead  trunks  and  branches,  woven  and  wedged  to 
gether,  as  if  the  whole  constituted  one  fabric. 

With  a  great  deal  of  labor,  creeping  and  winding 
like  serpents  through  the  openings,  we  made  our  way 
through  the  forest,  and  came  to  the  shores  of  the 
lake.  Accustomed,  as  I  was,  to  nature  in  her 
wild  moods,  the  scene  that  then  presented  itself 
greatly  surprised  me.  The  territory  that  encircled  the 
lake,  consisted  and  to  a  great  extent,  of  hills  scliffs, 
which  stood  close  to  the  water,  and  formed,  along  its 
whole  border,  what  seemed  to  be  a  mountain  wall, 
rising  almost  to  the  clouds,  and  thus  bestowing  upon 
the  spot  an  aspect  of  the  most  perfect  protection  and 
seclusion. 

As  if  invited  to  the  place  by  its  security  and  re 
pose,  myriads  of  aquatic  birds  were  there,  some  rest 
ing  upon  its  bosom,  some  wading  in  its  depths, 
some  standing  along  its  borders,  and  thousands  win- 


40  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

nowing  the  air  above  its  surface.  There  were  flocks 
of  swans,  with  arching  necks  and  snowy  bosoms; 
multitudes  of  pelicans,  either  darting  down  upon 
their  prey,  or  lazily  digesting  their  food  as  they  stood 
upon  the  rocks  along  the  shore;  and  wild  geese  and 
ducks  almost  without  number.  There  was  the  pen 
sive  heron,  standing  half  leg  deep  in  the  water,  and 
patiently  waiting  to  snap  up  some  luckless  frog  or 
fish;  there  was  the  tall  crane,  with  crested  head,  and 
spiteful  countenance,  looking  keenly  into  the  mud  for 
his  meal;  and  red  flamingoes,  standing  in  rows  that 
looked  like  gaudy  files  of  soldiers. . 

The  scene  presented  the  idea  of  a  paradise  for  wa 
ter-birds;  a  spot  unknown  to  man,  and  wholly  se 
cured  to  the  use  and  behoof  of  its  feathered  tenantry. 
The  birds  themselves  seemed  so  to  regard  it,  for  such 
were  their  habits  of  confidence,  that  when  we  ap 
proached  them,  they  hardly  noticed  us  or  moved 
from  us.  We  shot  a  few  arrows  among  them,  and 
killed  several,  but  this  created  no  general  alarm. 
One  of  our  party  had  a  rifle,  and  taking  aim  at  the 
leader  of  a  long  file  of  swans  that  glided  upon  the 
water  near  us,  he  fired,  and  the  noble  bird,  uttering 
a  faint  scream,  spread  his  wings  for  flight,  and  fell 


Typ.  ErnG.-.tllcye 


I  H  K     L  A  K  K 


THE    BOY  CAPTIVE.  41 

dead  upon  the  surface.  His  companions  rose  hea 
vily  from  the  lake,  and  sweeping  round  and  round 
in  the  air,  settled  again  upon  the  water,  encircling 
their  dead  companion. 

Loaded  with  game,  we  now  set  out  for  our  return; 
but  this  expedition  was  destined  to  be  signalized  by 
adventures.  In  our  progress  homeward,  we  had  occa 
sion  to  cross  a  deep  valley,  through  which  a  considera 
ble  river  found  its  way.  On  the  high  rocky  banks 
of  this  stream  our  party  sat  down  to  rest  themselves 
for  an  hour  or  two,  and  then  set  forward.  It  hap 
pened  that  I  had  crept  into  the  bushes  and  fallen 
asleep;  and  when  my  companions  went  away,  not 
observing  me,  they  left  me  soundly  wrapt  in  repose. 

They  had  been  gone  a  considerable  time  when  I 
was  waked  by  a  noise,  and  looking  up,  I  saw  a  huge 
grisly  bear  at  a  little  distance,  looking  steadfastly  at 
me.  I  knew  that  the  next  moment  he  would  be 
upon  me,  and  seizing  my  bow  and  arrows,  I  sprang 
forward,  and  at  a  single  bound  leaped  over  the  high 
bank,  into  the  stream.  It  was  not  more  than  fifty 
yards  in  width — and  I  had  hardly  crossed  it,  when  I 
heard  the  heavy  plunge  of  the  bear  behind  me. 
Clambering  up  the  opposite  bank  with  the  quick- 


42  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

ness  of  a  wild-cat,  I  seized  upon  the  burk  and  branch 
es  of  a  tree,  and  rapidly  mounted  it.  The  fierce 
beast  came  close  upon  me,  and  seizing  the  boughs 
with  its  claws  and  teeth,  tore  them  in  a  hundred 
pieces.  By  this  time,  however,  I  had  ascended 
beyond  its  reach. 

The  grisly  bear  is  twice  the  size  of  the  common 
bear,  and  from  its  savage  disposition  and  great 
strength,  is  altogether  the  most  dreadful  beast  of  the 
American  continent.  But,  happily  for  me,  it  does 
not  often  climb  trees.  I  therefore  felt  secure.  Paus 
ing  on  a  large  limb  of  the  tree,  I  looked  down  at 
my  shaggy  acquaintance  below.  He  had  now  got 
over  his  fury,  and  gazing  in  my  face  with  a  look  of 
the  deepest  interest,  he  seemed  to  think,  if  he  did 
not  say — "  Oh  how  I  love  you !  " 

After  sitting  upon  the  tree  for  some  time,  I  began 
to  grow  impatient  to  be  released — but  Bruin  seemed 
to  have  no  idea  of  parting  with  me  thus.  He  con 
tinued  for  several  hours,  sitting  upon  his  rump  in 
a  kind  of  brown  study,  but  occasionally  looking  at 
me.  At  last,  growing  weary,  I  reclined  against  the 
trunk  of  the  tree,  and  my  grisly  jailer,  as  if  to  tor 
ment  me,  lay  down  upon  the  ground,  and  putting 


Typ.  Ernust  Meyi  r 


JIW1NG  HAHHIT  AM)  THE  BEAR. 


THE     BOY     CAPTIVE.  43 

his  nose  to  his  tail,  seemed  to  say  that  he  had  made 
up  his  mind  to  stay  till  I  should  come  down.  I 
waited  for  some  time  in  silence,  to  see  if  he  would 
not  fall  asleep  and  allow  me  an  opportunity  of  es 
cape;  but  the  moment  I  moved  a  foot  or  hand,  I 
could  see  his  keen  eye  twinkle,  thus  showing  that 
the  sentinel  was  awake  and  watchful. 

At  last  I  got  out  of  patience,  and  selecting  a  good 
arrow,  I  sent  it  fiercely  at  his  head.  It  struck  him 
over  the  eye,  and  evidently  gave  him  great  pain,  for 
he  growled  terribly,  and  rubbed  the  wounded  place 
with  his  huge  paw;  and  finally  he  looked  up  at  me, 
at  the  same  time  curling  his  lip  and  showing  a  set 
of  teeth  that  made  me  shudder.  I  could  easily  un 
derstand  this  pantomime,  and  I  knew  it  to  mean 
something  like  this  :  "  Sooner  or  later,  my  lad,  you 
must  come  down,  and  these  teeth  shall  take  due  re 
venge  upon  you ! " 

Darkness  at  length  came — and  still  the  beast  re 
mained  at  his  post.  Hour  after  hour  passed  away, 
during  which  I  caught  a  little  sleep,  but  I  was  too 
fearful  of  falling  to  the  ground  to  get  any  sound  re 
pose.  Early  in  the  morning  I  heard  the  call  of  my 
companions,  and  now  knew  that  they  had  missed 


44  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

me,  and  were  come  to  find  me.  I  answered  their 
shout  with  a  cry  that  filled  the  valley  with  echoes. 
The  old  bear  seemed  startled;  he  rose,  shook  his 
shaggy  coat,  and  gazed  wistfully  around. 

Directed  by  my  voice,  my  friends  soon  drew  near; 
and  when  they  came  to  the  opposite  bank  of  the 
river,  I  told  them  my  situation  and  pointed  out  Bruin 
at  the  foot  of  the  tree.  In  a  moment  the  rifle  was 
levelled  at  my  tormentor,  and  the  ball  entered  his 
side.  Stung  with  pain,  but  not  mortally  wounded, 
the  monster  turned  towards  his  new  enemy.  Leap 
ing  into  the  stream,  he  began  to  swim  across;  but 
his  head  being  exposed,  several  arrows  were  aimed 
at  him,  some  of  which  took  effect.  As  he  ascended 
the  rocky  bank  of  the  river,  the  rifle  being  re-loaded, 
was  again  discharged,  and,  the  ball  passing  through 
his  heart,  he  fell  backward,  and  rolled  with  a  heavy 
plash  into  the  stream  ! 

But  I  have  wandered  a  little  from  my  track.  J 
said  that  the  necessity  of  obtaining  a  supply  of  food, 
at  last  roused  the  men  of  the  encampment  from  their 
repose.  After  making  due  preparation,  by  providing 
themselves  with  knives,  bows  and  arrows,  etc., 
about  twenty  of  them  departed ;  and  as  I  was  now 


THE     BOY     CRPTIVE.  45 

a  tolerably  expert  hunter,  I  was  permitted  to  accom 
pany  the  party.  The  events  which  followed  will  be 
described  in  the  next  chapter. 


CHAPTER  V. 

The  buffalo  hunt. 

Five  of  our  hunting  party  were  on  horseback,  and 
the  rest  on  foot.  We  proceeded  over  a  hilly  coun 
try  for  two  days,  meeting  with  no  other  game  than 
a  single  deer,  which  was  shot  by  one  of  the  party, 
thrown  across  one  of  the  horses,  and  carried  on 
ward.  We  came,  at  length,  to  the  borders  of  an 
extensive  prairie,  which  lay  spread  out  like  the  sea 
before  us.  In  taking  a  general  view  of  its  surface, 
it  seemed  to  be  almost  perfectly  level.  But  as  we 
advanced,  I  perceived  that  it  was  undulating,  like 
the  ocean  thrown  into  long  waves  by  a  gale  of  wind. 

It  was  now  late  in  the  autumn,  but  the  prairie 
was  covered  with  a  great  variety  of  flowers,  some 
of  them  exceedingly  brilliant  and  beautiful.  I  hardly 
noticed  these  objects  then.  I  was  with  savages,  and 


46  FAGGOTS     FOR    THE     FIRESIDE. 

they  never  perceive  anything  lovely  in  flowers,  or 
landscapes,  or  nature's  fairest  scenes.  It  might  seem 
that  those  who  live  always  in  the  midst  of  nature's 
works  would  feel  their  beauty  and  admire  them. 
But  it  is  not  so.  The  exquisite  emotions  excited  in 
a  refined  mind  by  beautiful  landscapes  and  the  pic 
turesque  objects  of  nature,  belong  only  to  those  who 
have  enjoyed  the  advantages  of  civilization.  No  sa 
vage  is  ever  either  a  painter  or  a  poet.  You  never 
see  these  dwellers  in  the  wilderness  culling  bouquets, 
or  making  wreaths  of  blossoms. 

We  held  a  straight  course  for  several  hours,  until 
at  last,  we  reached  a  little  dell  which  was  covered 
with  trees.  At  a  distance,  this  appeared  like  an  is 
land  in  the  sea.  Here  we  paused,  and  preparations 
were  made  to  remain  for  some  days.  Early  on  the 
ensuing  morning,  most  of  the  party  were  roused  and 
went  forth  in  quest  of  game ;  but  the  only  result  was 
the  killing  of  two  or  three  deer.  Several  days  now 
passed,  but  on  the  fifth  day  after  our  arrival  we  met 
with  more  stirring  adventures. 

Soon  after  the  sun  arose,  one  of  the  Indians  an 
nounced  that  a  herd  of  buffaloes  was  coming.  We 
all  looked  in  the  direction  to  which  he  pointed,  and, 


THE     BOY     CAPTIVE.  47 

at  the  distance  of  nearly  two  miles,  we  saw  an 
immense  number  of  objects,  seeming  like  small 
black  spots  on  the  surface  of  the  prairie.  These 
gradually  approached  us,  and  we  could  soon  hear  a 
confused  noise,  like  the  distant  roar  of  a  tempest. 
The  Indians  were  immediately  on  the  alert. 

As  the  wind  was  blowing  toward  the  herd,  they 
were  afraid  that  the  quick  scent  of  the  buffaloes 
would  perceive  us,  and  that  the  affrighted  animals 
would  take  to  flight.  To  avoid  this  danger,  we  im 
mediately  determined  to  shift  our  position.  Those 
who  had  horses  mounted  them  and  departed,  and 
those  who  were  on  foot  followed  them.  Some  pro 
ceeded  to  the  right  and  some  to  the  left,  making  a 
wide  sweep,  and  intending  to  come  in  upon  the  herd 
in  the  opposite  direction. 

We  were  not  long  in  performing  this  manoeuvre. 
I  shall  never  forget  the  scene  that  was  now  present 
ed.  Before  us  and  near  at  hand,  were  several  thou 
sands  of  these  huge  animals,  many  of  them  equal 
in  size  to  the  largest  ox.  They  had  also  an  aspect 
entirely  distinct  from  our  tame  cattle.  Their  swarthy 
color,  their  wild ,  shaggy  hair,  their  thick  mane , 
the  profusion  of  rough  and  bristling  hair  about  the 

6 


48  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

face,  the  enormous  hump  upon  the  shoulders,  togeth 
er  with  the  fierce  countenance  of  these  animals, 
rendered  them  objects  at  once  striking  and  formi 
dable. 

And  if  this  was  their  appearance,  taken  singly, 
the  spectacle  of  thousands  of  these  huge  beasts  was 
hardly  short  of  sublime.  The  whole  mass  were  mo 
ving  slowly  forward.  Some  paused  occasionally,  to 
nip  the  herbage,  or  devour  the  leaves  from  a  favorite 
shrub,  and  others  sauntered  on  with  a  careless  and 
indifferent  air.  But  many  of  the  bulls,  and  some 
of  the  rest,  seemed  to  be  almost  constantly  occupied 
in  wrangling  with  their  neighbors. 

Some  were  pawing  the  earth  and  scattering  the 
dust  in  the  air;  some  were  kneeling  and  plunging 
their  horns  into  the  little  hillocks  of  earth,  lowing 
at  the  same  time,  and  seeming  desirous  of  giving  a 
challenge  to  mortal  combat ;  some  were  already  fight 
ing,  and,  with  their  horns  locked,  were  straining 
every  nerve  for  the  mastery;  others  were  leaping 
and  frisking  as  they  went;  and  others  still  were  bury 
ing  their  horns  in  the  sides  of  such  of  their  breth 
ren  as  came  within  their  reach.  The  lowing  of 
the  herd  was  incessant,  and  came  upon  the  ear  with 


THE     BOY     CAPTIVE.  49 

a  deafening  roar.  The  air  was  filled  with  confused 
sounds  and  the  earth  was  shaken  beneath  our  feet 
by  the  trampling  multitude. 

Accustomed  as  I  was  to  scenes  of  adventure,  I  was 
still  startled  at  this  spectacle,  and,  for  a  time,  my 
mind  was  somewhat  confused.  My  excitement  was 
increased  by  an  incident  which  immediately  fol 
lowed.  The  Indians  who  had  accompanied  me,  had 
dispersed  themselves,  and  being  upon  the  flank  of  the 
herd,  and  sheltered  by  the  tall  grass,  were  stealing 
toward  their  unsuspecting  victims. 

I  had  myself  crouched  down  in  a  thick  tuft  of 
grass,  upon  one  of  the  thousand  swells  of  the  prairie. 
It  chanced  that  a  buffalo  of  the  largest  size,  straying 
a  little  from  his  companions,  was  coming  directly 
toward  the  spot  where  I  lay !  He  soon  came  near, 
and  I  could  see  his  curly  pate  and  the  glistening  of 
his  eye.  He  came  slowly,  but  steadily  on.  I  had 
a  rifle  in  my  hand,  but  such  was  my  amazement 
that  I  never  thought  of  using  it.  I  remained  crouched 
upon  one  knee  until  the  animal  was  within  six  feet 
of  me. 

It  is  impossible  to  describe  the  consternation  de 
picted  in  the  brute's  countenance  when  he  first  saw 


50  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

me.  He  paused  for  a  moment;  his  eyeballs  stood 
out,  his  nostrils  expanded,  and  the  long  stiff  hair 
upon  his  neck  stood  erect.  After  glaring  at  me  for  a 
few  seconds,  the  creature  lifted  his  tail  into  the  air, 
and  sped  away  at  a  prodigious  canter. 

He  had  proceeded  but  a  few  rods,  however,  be 
fore  I  heard  the  report  of  a  rifle,  and  the  flying  buf 
falo  stumbled  and  fell  to  the  earth ,  tearing  up  the 
soil  in  the  heavy  plunge.  He,  however,  rose  to  his 
feet,  and  proceeded,  with  a  staggering  gallop,  for 
about  a  hundred  yards.  He  then  paused,  and  at 
length  stood  still.  I  came  forward,  supposing  that 
the  wound  was  mortal,  and  that  the  creature  would 
soon  fall  to  the  earth;  but  what  was  my  surprise, 
on  coming  up  with  him,  to  discover  three  or  four 
wolves  standing  in  front  of  him,  and  evidently  on 
the  point  of  making  an  attack. 

Without  reflection,  I  discharged  my  rifle  among 
them,  and  killed  two  of  them.  The  noise  directed 
the  attention  of  the  wounded  buffalo  to  me,  and  he 
immediately  turned  upon  me.  I  easily  kept  out  of 
his  way  at  first;  but  his  speed  increased,  and  I  soon 
found  it  necessary  to  exert  myself  to  the  utmost 
for  escape.  My  great  activity  was  now  my  only 


THE     BOY     CAPTIVE.  51 

hope.  The  raging  beast  followed  me  at  long  bounds, 
and  I  was  frequently  obliged  to  throw  him  off  by  a 
short  turn  to  the  right  or  left,  in  order  to  escape 
from  the  plunge  of  his  horns.  I  had  already  begun 
to  grow  weary  and  short  of  breath,  when  I  heard  a 
loud  bellow  and  a  heavy  fall  to  the  earth.  I  looked 
around  —  my  pursuer  lay  dead  upon  the  ground. 

After  a  few  moments,  my  self-possession  return 
ed.  I  loaded  my  rifle  and  proceeded  toward  the 
scene  of  action,  for  my  companions  were  now  at 
their  work.  I  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing  the  man 
ner  in  which  the  Indians  on  horseback  attack  the 
buffalo.  I  chanced  to  be  near  one  of  our  bravest 
huntsmen  as  be  assailed  a  bull  of  the  largest  size. 
The  man  was  firmly  mounted,  but  he  had  no  other 
weapons  than  a  bow  and  a  quiver  of  arrows.  The 
buffalo  had  perceived  the  approach  of  the  enemy, 
and  immediately  fled  at  full  gallop. 

The  hunter  pursued,  and,  speedily  coming  up  with 
the  animal,  he  drew  his  arrow  to  the  head,  and 
lodged  it  between  its  ribs.  It  entered  more  than 
one  half  its  length,  but  the  buffalo  continued  its 
flight.  Another  and  another  arrow  were  speedily 
discharged,  and  all  of  them  took  effect.  The  last 


FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

was  almost  entirely  buried  in  the  flank  of  the  huge 
beast.  Stung  with  agony,  he  wheeled  suddenly 
round,  and  made  a  fierce  plunge  at  the  mounted 
horseman.  The  movement  was  sudden  and  rapid, 
but  the  blow  was  evaded  by  a  swaying  movement  to 
the  left.  The  impulse  of  the  horseman  carried  him  past 
the  animal  for  a  considerable  distance,  and  the  latter, 
apparently  incapable  of  further  exertion,  stood  still. 
His  sides  were  covered  with  blood,  and  mingled 
foam  and  blood  were  streaming  from  his  open  mouth. 
He  held  his  head  down,  his  tongue  protruded,  his 
eyes  stood  out,  and  he  shivered  in  every  limb.  At 
the  same  time,  he  uttered  a  low  and  plaintive  bel 
low.  The  unrelenting  hunter  speedily  turned  his 
horse  back,  and  again  approached  his  prey.  He 
paused  a  moment,  and  seemed  to  hesitate  whether 
it  were  needful  to  spend  another  arrow;  but,  after 
a  short  space,  he  placed  one  upon  the  string.  The 
bison  watched  the  moment,  and,  at  the  instant  it 
sped,  uttered  a  terrible  roar,  and  sprang  again  to 
ward  the  horseman.  The  latter,  prepared  for  the 
movement,  leaped  aside,  and  the  exhausted  prey 
rolled,  with  a  crushing  sound,  to  the  earth.  The 
last  arrow  had  reached  his  heart. 


Typ.  Krnrsl  Mcy< 


THE  BUFFALO  HUNT. 


THE     BOY     CAPTIVE. 

I  looked  over  the  vast  plain,  and  the  countless 
herd  of  bisons  were  now  in  full  flight;  plunging, 
galloping,  and  bellowing,  they  swept  over  the  plain. 
It  is  impossible  to  give  an  adequate  idea  of  the  scene. 
A  variety  of  stunning  sounds  fell  upon  the  ear,  and 
the  earth  trembled  as  if  shaken  by  an  earthquake. 
Yet,  amid  this  scene  of  confusion,  the  Indians  seem 
ed  in  their  element.  Mingling  with  the  crowd  of 
animals,  their  arrows  flew  and  their  bullets  sped. 
Those  who  were  on  foot,  and  those  who  were  moun 
ted,  alike  kept  up  with  the  flying  herd. 

Nothing  could  exceed  the  fierceness  of  their  looks, 
or  the  animation  of  their  actions.  Their  whole  souls 
seemed  engaged  in  the  work  of  death.  Their  hair 
streaming  in  the  wind,  their  eyes  gleaming  with  fiery 
exultation,  and  speeding  from  point  to  point  within- 
credible  swiftness,  they  had  an  aspect  of  wildness, 
energy,  and  power,  which  words  alone  cannot  paint. 
For  my  own  share  in  the  adventure,  I  can  say  but 
little.  I  had  several  fair  shots,  but  they  were  all 
without  success,  excepting  in  one  instance.  A  buf 
falo  calf,  toward  the  latter  part  of  the  chase,  was 
passing  near,  and  I  brought  it  down  with  a  single 
arrow. 


54  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

I  must  not  omit  to  mention  one  incident,  that 
particularly  attracted  my  attention  in  the  midst  of 
these  scenes.  From  the  moment  the  attack  began, 
I  had  noticed  several  wolves  gliding  hither  and  thith 
er,  and  seeming  to  watch  the  progress  of  the  fight. 
These  creatures  follow  the  herds  of  bisons,  and,  if 
one  of  them  becomes  sick  or  wounded,  they  attack 
and  devour  him.  They  seemed  now  to  be  quite 
aware  that  something  was  to  be  done  in  their  behalf, 
and,  accordingly,  gathered  in  considerable  numbers 
to  the  place  where  the  attack  was  about  to  be  made. 

Several  buffaloes  had  now  been  slain,  and  others 
were  wounded.  As  I  was  passing  along,  I  saw  a 
buffalo  that  had  received  a  bullet  in  his  side ,  and 
was  severely  hurt.  The  creature  seemed  exhausted 
and  incapable  of  flight.  As  if  understanding  the 
exact  nature  of  the  case,  several  wolves  had  gathered 
around  him,  and,  squatting  upon  their  haunches  at 
a  respectful  distance,  were  waiting  the  moment  when 
the  animal  should  be  sufficiently  feeble  to  render  it 
safe  for  them  to  make  the  attack.  At  my  approach, 
however,  the  buffalo  made  a  new  effort,  and  galloped 
beyond  my  reach,  followed,  however,  by  his  unre 
lenting  and  greedy  attendants. 


THE     BOY     CAPTIVE.  55 

In  about  half  an  hour  after  the  attack  commen 
ced,  it  was  all  over.  The  herd  had  passed  on;  but 
scattered  along,  for  the  space  of  three  or  four  miles, 
lay  no  less  than  sixteen  dead  buffaloes,  the  fruit  of 
our  efforts.  I  must  say,  however,  that  the  packs 
of  wolves,  which  constantly  hung  around  the  buffa 
loes,  devoured  two  or  three  that  we  had  killed  be 
fore  we  could  secure  them. 

Several  days  were  spent  in  skinning  our  game ; 
in  cutting  off  the  best  parts  of  the  meat,  and  in  pre 
parations  for  our  return.  At  last,  having  loaded 
our  horses  with  the  hides  and  a  portion  of  the  meat, 
and  each  man  taking  what  he  could  carry,  we  set 
out  upon  our  journey,  and,  after  a  laborious  march, 
reached  the  settlement. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Another  hunting  expedition.  —  The  prairie  set  on  fire.  — 
A  frog  concert. 

Although  we  had  thus  secured  a  large  quantity  of 
buffalo  meat,  it  was  thought  necessary  to  make 

7. 


56  FAGGOTS     FOR    THE     FIRESIDE. 

another  hunting  expedition,  in  order  to  obtain  ample 
supplies  for  the  winter. 

A  party  of  nearly  thirty  hunters  therefore  set  out 
for  a  small  prairie,  some  hundred  miles  to  the 
south,  famous  for  the  quantity  of  deer  found  there. 
I  was  one  of  the  number,  being  by  this  time  al 
most  considered  to  belong  to  the  tribe. 

After  five  days'  march,  we  came  to  a  prairie 
which  consisted  of  a  level  space  of  ground  about 
twenty  miles  in  diameter.  On  one  side  it  was 
bounded  by  a  river,  with  rocky  banks  about  two 
hundred  feet  high;  on  all  other  sides,  it  was  bordered 
by  wooded  hills. 

The  mode  adopted  here  was  one  wihch  I  had 
never  seen  before;  the  prairie  being  covered  with 
tall  dry  grass,  this  was  set  on  fire  at  several  points 
forming  a  circle.  The  flames  extended  until  there 
was  a  complete  belt  of  fire,  some  seven  or  eight  miles 
in  circuit,  raging  over  the  plain.  It  was  indeed  a 
terrible  yet  sublime  scene,  rendered  still  more  dread 
ful  by  the  roar  which  was  like  that  of  the  ocean  in 
a  gale  of  wind. 

There  was  but  one  opening  in  the  belt  of  fire, 
and  that  was  toward  a  point  of  the  cliff  near  the  river. 


THE    BOY     CAPTIVE.  57 

The  weather  was  very  dry,  and  at  first  there  was 
no  wind;  but  as  the  flames  extended,  they  seemed 
to  create  a  strong  breeze  which  drew  the  fire  with  the 
greatest  swiftness  across  the  prairie.  Hidden  in  the 
tall  grass  there  were  a  great  many  elk  and  deer  of 
various  kind.  Very  soon  they  began  to  scent  the 
flames;  they  started  in  great  fright  and  ran  away ;  but 
they  speedily  found  themselves  encircled  by  the  ra 
ging  conflagration.  Smitten  with  panic,  they  rushed 
hither  and  thither.  Now  and  then,  one  would  become 
maddened  with  terror,  and  plunge  into  the  fire 
where  he  speedily  perished. 

As  the  circle  grew  narrower,  the  whole  congre 
gation  of  animals,  now  furious  with  fright,  grad 
ually  drew  near  the  opening  left  for  them  at  the 
cliff.  Finding  a  space  here  which  was  free  from  the 
raging  element,  and  in  their  terror,  having  lost  all 
their  ordinary  caution,  they  rushed  through  the  open 
ing  and  plunged  headlong  over  the  rocky  precipice ! 
Falling  upon  the  stones  beneath ,  which  skirted  the 
river,  they  were  killed  at  once ,  or  if  only  wounded, 
the  Indians  were  there  to  despatch  them.  In  this 
single  day  we  secured  thirteen  elk,  twenty  eight  deer 
and  three  antelopes.  There  were  a  few  bisons  upon 


58  FAGGOTS     FOR    THE     FIRESIDE. 

the  prairie;  but  these  took  the  scent  before  the  fire 
closed  in  a  circle,  and  all  escaped  by  breaking  through 
the  openings,  except  two,  which  were  driven  over 
the  rocks  and  made  a  part  of  our  spoils. 

It  was  useless  for  us  to  try  this  trick  of  catching 
animals  on  the  prairie  over  ogain ;  for  all  that  re 
mained  had  fled  to  the  forests ,  and  beside  we  had 
secured  as  much  game  as  we  could  carry.  So  we 
set  out  for  home. 

On  our  journey  we  met  with  a  troop  of  wild  horses, 
some  fourteen  in  number,  and  we  tried  to  catch  one 
of  them.  But  they  were  the  most  timid  and  watchful 
creatures  I  ever  saw.  It  was  indeed  quite  impossible  to 
get  near  them.  I  was  told  however,  that  some  of  the 
Indian  tribes,  further  south,  were  very  skilful  in  catch 
ing  wild  horse, and  that  they  made  quite  abusiness  of  it. 

We  also  met  with  a  small  band  of  Osage  Indians, 
who  attacked  us  one  night  as  we  lay  in  our  tents. 
They  came  upon  us  by  stealth,  and  then  set  up  the 
war-whoop  as  they  plunged  into  our  little  camp. 
We  were  taken  by  surprise,  and  the  enemy  succeeded 
in  carrying  off  all  our  horses,  four  in  number,  togeth 
er  with  a  considerable  part  of  our  game.  We  pursued 
them  the  next  day,  but  without  finding  them. 


THE     BOY     CAPTIVE.  59 

At  last  we  reached  home,  and  we  got  plenty  of 
jokes  from  the  women  for  being  robbed  by  the  Osa- 
ges.  The  loss  of  our  game  proved  serious,  for  be 
fore  spring  we  were  short  of  food;  and  as  the  win 
ter  was  severe  where  we  were,  the  whole  tribe 
moved  to  the  south,  somewhere  in  the  neighborhood 
of  the  Arkansas  river.  There  we  found  plenty  of 
small  game  and  abundance  of  fish. 

I  remember  to  have  been  greatly  astonished  as 
well  as  amused,  by  the  songs  of  the  various  animals 
crouded  into  the  swamps  in  those  regions.  The  spring 
began  as  early  as  February,  and  never  had  I  im 
agined  such  a  hubbub  as  burst  forth  from  the  thick 
ets  as  soon  as  all  the  birds,  frogs,  and  alligators 
were  satisfied  that  winter  was  over. 

Gentle  Reader !  Did  you  ever  hear  a  flock  of 
children — hearty,  healthy  hoydens — girls  and  boys, 
black  eyes  and  blue  eyes — when  all  by  themselves, 
in  an  attic,  or  a  barn,  or  a  school-room?  Whew! 
what  a  racket !  But  excuse  me,  reader,  if  I  ask 
another  question.  Were  you  ever,  of  a  summer  even- 
ning ,  in  the  swamp  of  a  southern  climate  —  one  of 
those  which  border  the  southern  portions  of  the  Mis 
sissippi  or  the  Arkansas  ? 


60  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

If  not — then  you  have  never  heard  one  of  the 
queerest  concerts  that  can  be  listened  to.  How  shall 
I  describe  it?  We  may  portray  things  to  the  eye  by 
pictures,  but  we  cannot  paint  sounds.  To  what 
shall  I  compare  the  swamp  serenade  of  the  tropics? 
Alas,  it  is  without-a  parallel.  The  congregated  up 
roar  of  the  poultry  yard — roosters  crowing,  turkeys 
gobbling,  hens  cackling — 

<c  Cut-cut-cadaw  cut — • 
Lay  an  egg  every  day, 
And  have  to  go  barefoot!  » — 

geese  gobbling;  ducks  quacking;  Guinea-hens  yel 
ling;  pigs  squealing — this  is  nothing.  Reader,  you 
may  have  heard  the  soft  serenade  of  a  couple  of  cats 
beneath  your  window,  sounding  all  the  louder,  be 
cause  of  your  anxiety  to  get  to  sleep,  and  the  death 
like  stillness  around;  but  this  is  nothing! 

You  have  perhaps  heard  the  shout  of  a  school  set 
free — the  hubbub  of  a  Lowell  factory — the  clatter  of 
steamboat  paddles — the  rush  of  some  spit-fire  engine 
and  its  train  upon  a  railroad  track — the  tearing  fire 
of  a  militia  muster,  "all  together" — which  means 
one  after  another.  All  this  you  may  have  heard.  Nay 
more — by  an  effort  of  fancy,  you  may  have  put  them 


THE     BOY     CAPTIVE.  61 

all  together,  and  worked  one  into  another  by  Mar- 
maduke  Multiply's  table — crossways,  and  up  and 
down — and  yet  you  have  but  a  faint  idea  of  the  clang 
or  made  by  the  frogs,  alligators ,  whippoorwills , 
chuck-will's-widows,  and  other  songsters  of  a  south 
ern  swamp,  when  they  set  up  for  a  real  serenade 
— all  by  themselves ! 

We  all  know  that  the  Italian  orchestras  undertake  to 
describe  storms,  tempests,  and  battles — shipwrecks, 
love  and  murder — by  music.  If  one  of  the  opera 
companies  will  go  to  an  Arkansas  swamp ,  listen  to 
the  performances  there ,  and  come  back  and  give  us 
a  good  imitation,  I  engage  that  they  shall  make  their 
fortune. 

Mr.  Southey  undertook  to  tell  about  the  cataract 
of  Lodore,  and  he  attempted  to  convey  some  notion 
of  the  commotion  of  the  waters  by  the  gushing  of 
his  lines,  and  he  succeeded  very  well;  but  how  can 
any  one  put  the  puffing  of  alligators  into  rhyme? 
Old  Homer,  I  am  told,  has  imitated  frogs  in  Greek 
—but  the  thing  is  scarcely  possible  in  English. 

After  all  I  have  said,  gentle  reader,  I  shall 
riot  attempt  to  describe  the  songs  of  the  swamps 
aforesaid.  This  1  must  leave  to  yourself.  Suppose 


62  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

that  you  are  in  Arkansas ,  or  Louisiana;  suppose 
that  it  is  sunset,  of  a  day  in  April  or  May.  A 
swampy  thicket  is  before  you;  around  are  gigantic 
plants,  of  a  thousand  forms,  and  gaudy  flowers  of 
many  hues;  gnats,  mosquitoes  and  gallinippers,  fill 
the  air,  and  sting  you  at  every  available  point.  Fire 
flies  begin  to  glitter.  On  every  hand,  as  the  dark 
ness  falls,  the  scene  around  becomes  illuminated 
with  myriads  of  these  fleeting  meteors. 

A  strange,  loud  sound  bursts  suddenly  from  a 
bush  at  your  very  ear,  exclaiming,  "  chuck-will's- 
widow  !  "  It  is  repeated — slowly  at  first — and  then 
more  rapidly.  Pretty  soon  another  voice  exclaims, 
"  whippoorwill !  "  "  Confound  us  !  confound  us!" 
says  a  croaking  throat  in  the  mud.  "  Botheration  ! 
botheration!"  says  one  at  a  distance.  "  Thief! 
thief !  "  cries  another.  Then  fifty  voices  break  out, 
and  run  into  each  other  like  the  notes  of  a  watchman's 
rattle.  The  din  rises  higher  and  higher.  More 
voices  are  added  to  the  chorus,  while  every  one 
speaks  louder  and  quicker — and  ever  and  anon,  the 
deep  voice  of  the  alligator  is  distinctly  heard,  be 
twixt  a  grunt  and  guffau — seeming  like  the  notes  of 
the  kettle-drum,  or  double  bass,  to  this  wonderful 


THE     BOY     CAPTIVE.  63 

concert  of  birds  and  reptiles,  when  all  by  them 
selves  ! 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Journey  over  the  Rocky  Mountains.  —  The  Pacific.  — Curious 
Indian  customs.  —  A  river  full  of  salmon.  —  Fish  story. 

If  I  were  to  give  a  minute  account  of  all  that  hap 
pened  while  I  was  with  the  Indians,  it  would  fill  a 
large  book.  Perhaps  I  may,  some  time  or  other, 
give  a  more  particular  account  of  my  adventures ; 
but  I  must  now  condense  my  narrative,  and  give 
only  the  leading  events  of  my  life  with  the  Indians. 

I  continued  for  nearly  six  years  with  the  tribe  of 
Kickapoos,  who  first  made  me  their  captive.  Dur 
ing  this  period,  these  Indians  frequently  shifted  their 
abode,  partly  with  a  view  to  the  acquisition  of  game, 
and  partly  to  escape  the  neighborhood  of  troublesome 
enemies.  We  had  occasional  skirmishes  with  oth 
er  tribes,  and  once  a  serious  war  with  the  Osages. 

Small  companies  of  white  hunters  and  fur  traders 
sometimes  visited  our  camp,  taking  our  furs,  and 
giving  us  powder,  ball  and  trinkets  in  return.  The 

trade  in  furs  became  more  and  more  an  object  to 

8. 


64  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

the  tribe,  and,  finally,  it  was  a  part  of  their  system 
to  despatch  some  of  the  men  every  winter  to  the 
mountainous  country  at  the  west,  for  the  purpose  of 
killing  foxes,  wild-cats,  and  other  animals,  in  order 
to  obtain  their  skins. 

I  accompanied  one  of  these  parties,  which  consist 
ed  of  eleven  men.  We  proceeded,  early  in  the 
autumn,  to  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and,  hearing  that 
game  was  very  abundant  on  the  other  side,  we  trav 
ersed  that  immense  range,  and  found  ourselves  upon 
its  western  slope.  We  came  to  a  river,  which,  it 
was  said,  emptied  its  waters  into  a  great  salt  lake. 
Impelled  by  curiosity,  we  continued  our  ramble  to  the 
westward ,  and ,  at  last,  reached  the  shores  of  the 
Pacific  Ocean. 

Novelty  strikes  even  the  imagination  of  the  savage. 
Our  party  were,  therefore,  not  a  little  excited  when 
they  gazed  at  the  boundless  sea,  and  noticed  the 
greenish  tinge  of  its  waters.  When  they  tasted  it, 
and  perceived  its  salt  and  bitter  flavor,  they  spit 
violently,  and  uttered  a  great  many  exclamations  of 
astonishment.  It  was  here  that  I  first  saw  a  ship. 
This  was  one  of  the  American  vessels,  going  to  trade 
with  the  Indians  on  the  north-west  coast,  and  to  obtain 


THE     BOY     CAPTIVE.  65 

their  furs.  She  passed  near  us,  and  I  could  easily 
distinguish  her  sails,  her  ropes,  and  some  of  the 
men.  I  had  often  heard  of  the  white  people,  since 
I  had  heen  with  the  Indians,  but  nothing  I  had  ever 
seen  had  given  me  such  an  idea  of  their  skill  and 
power  as  did  this  vessel. 

We  lingered  along  the  shores  of  the  Pacific  for 
some  weeks,  and  here  we  met  with  various  tribes  of 
Indians.  Some  of  these  were  called  Flat-heads,  the 
upper  part  of  their  heads  being  flattened,  by  placing 
them  in  infancy  between  two  boards.  It  may  seem 
difficult  to  account  for  the  prevalence  of  such  a  pain 
ful  and  unnatural  custom;  but  we  must  remember 
that  fashion  governs  the  Indians  as  well  as  the  white 
people.  Some  of  the  savages  bore  holes  through 
their  ears  and  noses,  for  the  purpose  of  suspending 
jewels  therein.  Some  submit  to  a  burning  of  the 
flesh,  in  order  to  tattoo  the  skin;  and  those  we  have 
just  mentioned  compress  the  skull  between  two 
boards.  These  things  are  all  done  in  compliance 
with  fashion. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  the  events  I  am  now 
describing  took  place  twenty  years  ago,  before  Cal 
ifornia  belonged  to  our  country,  and  before  the  gold 


66  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

mines  were  discovered.  The  place  where  we  came 
to  the  Pacific  Ocean  was,  I  suppose,  the  southern 
part  of  Oregon.  At  all  events  we  discovered  a  river 
so  stocked  with  fish  that  they  seemed  really  to  fill  it ; 
and  as  this  corresponds  with  the  description  of  the 
Columbia  river,  I  presume  it  was  one  of  its  branches 
we  saw.  The  fish  were  salmon,  and  we  found  them 
delicious. 

We  learned  that  the  tribes  of  Indians,  all  along 
the  coast  and  for  hundreds  of  miles  inland,  came  to 
catch  salmon  in  the  spring  of  the  year,  at  which 
time  they  ascend  the  Columbia.  Many  thousands 
of  Indians  are  seen  here  at  this  season,  engaged  in 
catching  and  drying  fish.  They  have  long  tents 
where  they  roast  and  smoke  them,  and  then  pound 
them  into  a  kind  of  fish-bread,  pack  them  in  bas 
kets  of  willow  and  carry  them  home. 

When  the  Indians  arrive  at  the  fishing  station, 
they  are  very  thin  and  lean ,  as  if  half  starved ;  but 
in  a  few  weeks  they  are  fat  and  oily.  They  feed  their 
horses  and  dogs  on  fish,  and  these  animals  get  very 
fat  also.  There  is  no  place  in  the  world  where  the 
salmon  are  so  abundant  as  in  the  Columbia  river. 

There  is  another  thing  very  wonderful  in  this  re- 


THE     BOY     CAPTIVE. 


67 


gion  of  Oregon,  and  that  is  a  kind  of  tree  which 
grows  three  hundred  feet  high !  The  trunks  are  very 
often  twenty  feet  in  diameter,  and  grow  to  the  height 
of  two  hundred  feet  without  a  branch.  They  are 
by  far  the  largest  trees  in  the  world. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Return  across  the  Rocky  Mountains.  —  I  am  captured  by  the 
Pawnees.  —  I  determine  to  escape.  —  Interesting  events. 

I  must  now  proceed  with  my  story.  We  at  last 
returned  to  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  spent  the  win 
ter  in  the  pursuit  of  game.  We  killed  a  number  of 
wild  sheep  and  wild  goats,  and  several  beautiful 
little  antelopes.  These  creatures  we  found  in  small 
herds  at  the  eastern  foot  of  the  mountains.  They 
were  exceedingly  agile,  with  gentle,  black  eyes  and 
mild  countenances ,  and  seemed  to  speed  over  the 
ground  almost  as  swiftly  as  a  bird  could  fly. 

Loaded  with  furs  of  various  kinds,  we  set  out  for 
our  return.  One  night,  as  we  were  encamped  upon 
the  banks  of  a  small  river,  we  were  attacked  by  a 
party  of  about  twenty  Pawnees.  Two  of  our  Indians 


68  FAGGOTS     FOR    THE     FIRESIDE. 

were  killed  in  the  fight.  I  was  myself  taken  prisoner, 
and  nearly  the  whole  of  our  furs  fell  into  the  hands 
of  the  assailants. 

I  was  now  taken  with  my  new  captors  to  the  en 
campment  of  the  Pawnees,  a  distance  of  five  days' 
journey.  I  submitted  with  apparent  satisfaction  to 
my  captivity  and,  making  myself  useful,  soon  acquired 
the  favor  of  the  people  among  whom  I  was  now 
adopted.  I  had ,  however,  no  real  attachment  toward 
them,  and  determined  to  seize  the  first  favorable  op 
portunity  for  my  escape.  Several  months  passed, 
and  I  began  to  be  more  reconciled  to  my  lot,  parti 
cularly  as  I  was  now  regarded  as  a  leader  among  the 
hunters  of  the  tribe. 

A  plan  was  soon  set  on  foot  for  a  marauding  expe 
dition  against  the  Indians  dwelling  far  to  the  eastward 
of  our  present  position.  We  had  plenty  of  horses, 
and  thirty  of  us,  well  mounted  and  equipped,  set 
forth  upon  the  proposed  adventure.  We  proceeded 
eastward,  and  traversed  a  large  extent  of  country, 
and,  at  last,  came  within  the  vicinity  of  some  scat 
tered  settlements  of  white  men. 

I  now  discovered  that  it  was  the  purpose  of  my 
companions  to  attack  these  settlements, — a  circum- 


THE     BOY     CAPTIVE.  69 

stance  which  they  had  before  concealed  from  me. 
This  concealment  probably  arose  from  their  know 
ledge  that  I  was  of  white  descent,  and  they  were, 
perhaps,  afraid  that  I  would  not  join  them  heartily 
in  plundering  my  own  kindred. 

At  last,  however,  they  told  me  their  scheme. 
Though  I  had  been  long  with  the  Indians ,  and  had 
imbibed  their  customs  and  feelings,  yet  I  was  by  no 
means  pleased  with  the  idea  of  attacking  these  white 
settlements.  I  knew  it  was  unsafe  for  me,  however, 
to  avow  my  scruples;  for,  if  their  suspicion  was  ex 
cited,  they  would  not  hesitate  to  send  a  bullet  through 
my  heart.  I  therefore  received  their  proposition 
with  apparent  unconcern.  Perceiving,  however,  the 
keen  eyes  of  an  old  chief  bent  suspiciously  upon  me, 
I  thought  it  necessary  to  profess  an  interest  in  the 
enterprise  which  I  did  not  really  feel. 

The  intention  of  escaping  from  the  tribe,  which  I 
had  formerly  cherished,  now  revived,  and  an  oppor 
tunity  Avas  only  wanting  for  me  to  take  leave  of  them 
forever.  While  I  was  in  this  state  of  mind,  we  came 
into  the  vicinity  of  a  small  white  settlement,  consist 
ing  of  four  or  five  houses.  One  of  our  party  had 
been  in  this  quarter  before,  and  knew  the  situation 


70  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

of  these  dwellings.  They  were  all  scattered,  and  one 
of  them  which  he  described  as  apart  from  the  rest, 
was  thought  likely  to  afford  considerable  plunder. 

It  was  deemed  best,  however,  before  making  the 
attack,  to  gain  more  exact  information  of  the  pres 
ent  state  of  things  among  the  settlers;  and,  with 
this  view,  it  was  proposed  that  four  of  us  should 
paint  and  dress  ourselves  as  Osages,  and  pay  a 
visit  to  these  white  people  under  pretence  of  selling 
them  furs.  We  halted  in  the  thick  forest,  and 
made  our  preparations.  Our  party  of  spies  then  set 
out  on  foot,  and  proceeded  to  visit  the  houses  of 
the  white  men.  We  found  five  or  six  log-houses 
built  upon  the  borders  of  the  White  river,  each  of 
them  having  some  cleared  and  cultivated  lands 
around  them. 

A  little  higher  up  the  stream,  we  came  to  the 
separate  house  which  has  just  been  mentioned.  It 
was  larger  than  those  we  have  described,  and  had 
the  appearance  of  considerable  comfort  and  thrift 
on  the  part  of  the  inhabitants. 

When  we  entered  the  house,  we  saw  two  women ; 
one  of  them  about  middle  age,  the  other  about  six 
teen.  It  was  now  several  years  since  I  had  been 


THE     BOY     CAPTIVE.  11 

with  the  Indians,  during  wich  period  I  had  not 
seen  a  white  woman.  The  moment  I  looked  on 
those  now  before  me,  my  former  associations  and 
trains  of  thought  revived.  We  addressed  the  old 
est  of  the  females,  and  asked  for  a  cup  of  water. 
She  replied  in  tones  of  kindness  and  courtesy,  but 
I  could  perceive  something  of  trepidation  and  anxiety 
in  her  manner.  Her  voice,  also,  awakened  inde 
scribable  emotions  in  my  breast. 

The  young  lady  soon  brought  us  a  pitcher  of  water, 
and  when  I  looked  upon  her,  it  seemed  to  me 
that  I  had  never  beheld  a  creature  so  lovely.  As 
the  man  of  the  house  was  not  at  home ,  we  soon 
departed,  and  our  business  being  now  accomplished, 
we  proceeded  straight  back  to  our  companions , 
whose  lurking-place  we  reached  late  in  the  evening. 
We  communicated  the  information  we  had  acquired, 
and  it  was  soon  resolved  to  make  an  attack  upon 
the  last  house  we  had  visited ,  the  very  next  night. 

The  situation  in  which  I  now  found  myself  was 
most  painful.  The  deepest  interest  had  been  exci 
ted  in  my  breast  toward  those  whom  the  savages 
had  resolved  to  sacrifice.  The  forms  of  the  mother 

and  daughter  continually  haunted  my  mind ;  and  a 

9. 


72  FAGGOTS    FOR     THE    FIRESIDE. 

strange  fancy  that  it  was  my  mother  and  sister  whom 
I  had  seen,  seized  upon  me.  Improbable,  impos 
sible  ,  indeed ,  as  this  seemed  when  I  considered  it 
calmly,  there  was  still  a  conviction  resting  upon  my 
heart  that  I  was  about  to  engage  in  assailing  the 
dwelling-place  of  my  parents ,  with  every  chance  of 
sacrificing  the  lives  of  my  kindred. 

I  was  not  long  in  resolving  to  take  no  part  in 
this  murderous  scheme,  except  to  baffle  it.  But 
what  could  be  done?  To  escape  from  the  savages, 
forever  on  the  watch,  and,  doubtless,  in  some  de 
gree  suspicious  of  me,  was  a  thing  by  no  means 
easily  achieved.  I  determined,  however,  to  make 
the  attempt,  even  if  it  cost  me  my  life. 

It  was  the  plan  of  the  Indians  to  remain  where 
they  were  till  about  midnight ,  then  to  proceed  on 
horseback  to  the  vicinity  of  the  settlements,  and, 
having  tied  the  horses  in  some  sheltered  spot,  to  go 
on  foot  to  make  the  assault  they  meditated.  Early 
the  next  evening ,  the  whole  party  lay  down  for  the 
purpose  of  obtaining  some  repose,  their  horses  hav 
ing  been  fastened,  so  as  to  be  at  command.  I  had 
taken  care  that  my  own  horse  should  be  imper 
fectly  tied,  so  that  I  knew  he  would  soon  get  free. 


THE     BOY    CAPTIVE.  73 

In  the  course  of  an  hour,  and  after  most  of  the 
company  were  asleep,  I  heard  the  animal  moving 
about.  I  then  rose  up,  expressed  some  surprise, 
and  remarked  that  my  horse  was  loose,  and  that  I 
must  go  and  take  care  of  him.  One  or  two  Indians, 
who  were  still  awake,  heard  what  I  said,  and,  seeing 
nothing  suspicious  in  my  conduct,  I  was  permitted  to 
depart  without  interruption.  I  soon  caught  my  horse, 
and  cautiously  led  him  away  from  the  slumbering 
party.  When  I  had  gone  to  the  distance  of  fifty  rods, 
I  mounted  his  back  and  plunged  into  the  woods. 

For  more  than  a  mile  I  took  a  direction  opposite 
to  the  houses  of  the  settlers.  Then,  making  a  wide 
circuit,  I  turned  and  pursued  my  way  toward  them. 
Coming  to  the  bank  of  the  river,  I  was  easily  guided  in 
my  course,  and  ere  long  reached  the  first  of  those 
settlements  which  I  had  visited  with  my  Indian  com 
panions.  I  now  awoke  the  people  in  the  several 
houses,  and,  in  the  imperfect  English  I  was  able  to 
command,  told  them  of  the  attack  that  was  medi 
tated. 

Four  men,  well  armed,  immediately  started  with 
me  for  the  house  which  was  to  be  the  first  object  of 
attack.  It  was  nearly  midnight  when  we  arrived  and 


74  FAGGOTS  FOR  THE  FIRESIDE. 

roused  the  inmates  of  the  house.  There  was  no  time 
to  be  lost,  and  immediate  preparations  to  receive  the 
enemy  were  made.  In  about  an  hour  we  saw  their 
dark  forms  gliding  out  from  the  edge  of  the  forest,  and 
approaching  the  house.  With  a  soft  and  stealthy 
tread  they  approached.  Two  of  them  seized  upon  a 
large  stick  of  timber,  and  were  advancing  to  the  door, 
for  the  purpose  of  beating  it  in,  when  I  thrust  my 
head  out  of  the  window  and  uttered  the  war-whoop. 
The  astonished  Indians  started  back,  and  for  a  short 
time  concealed  themselves  in  an  adjacent  thicket. 

I  knew  that  they  would  recognize  my  voice,  and 
understand  that  their  plot  was  detected,  and  that  pre 
parations  were  made  to  repel  it.  I  hoped,  therefore, 
that  they  would  retire  and  give  up  their  enterprise. 
Such,  however,  was  not  their  determination.  In  a 
short  time  they  rallied,  and,  setting  up  the  war-cry, 
advanced  with  rapid  steps  toward  the  house. 

I  marked  the  leader  of  the  band,  whom  I  knew  to 
be  the  bravest  man  of  the  party,  and,  presenting  my 
rifle,  I  fired.  The  Indian  fell  with  a  terrific  scream. 
The  rest  of  the  party  halted.  There  was  a  moment 
ary  bustle,  and  the  savages  disappeared.  We  con 
tinued  on  the  watch  till  morning,  and  were  then 


THE  BOY  CAPTIVE.  75 

happy  to  discover  that  the  enemy  had  carried  off  their 
wounded  leader,  and  abandoned  the  entreprise  that 
had  brought  them  hither. 

I  had  been  too  intently  occupied,  during  the  night, 
to  think  of  much  beside  the  immediate  business  in 
hand,  but  I  now  turned  my  eyes  upon  the  inmates  of 
the  house.  These  consisted  of  four  persons, — a 
husband  and  wife  of  middle  age,  and  a  son  and 
daughter  now  in  the  flower  of  youth.  The  thought 
again  crossed  my  mind  that  here  were  my  parents, 
my  brother  and  my  sister.  At  last,  in  the  conviction 
that  this  was  so,  I  placed  myself  before  the  matron, 
and  said,  as  well  as  I  knew  how,  "  Did  you  ever  lose 
a  son  ?  " 

"  Yes,  yes !  why  do  you  ask?"  said  she,  looking 
at  me  with  intense  curiosity. 

"He  is  here,"  said  I. 

"  You,  my  son  ?  "  said  she. 

But  I  cannot  describe  the  scene.  It  will  be  suffi 
cient  for  the  reader  to  know  that  I  had  the  happiness 
that  day  of  being  restored  to  my  family  and  saving 
them  from  the  perils  of  an  Indian  assault. 

It  is  now  a  number  of  years  since  the  events  took 
place,  which  I  have  described.  I  have  learned  to 


76  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

understand  the  difference  between  savage  and  civilised 
life ;  and  I  cannot  but  be  thankful  to  a  kind  provi 
dence  which  has  brought  me  out  of  the  darkness  and 
ignorance  in  which  I  spent  my  early  days.  Some 
thoughtless  people  may  deem  it  pleasant  and  amu 
sing  to  live  in  the  wilderness,  and  to  spend  one's  life 
in  hunting  and  fishing  and  other  wild  adventures. 
But  it  is  not  so.  The  life  of  the  savage  is  a  dull  and 
dreary  existence,  enlivened  only  by  passages  of  fierce 
excitement,  such  as  wolves  and  tigers  may  feel  in 
hunting  their  victims,  in  satisfying  their  brutal  appe 
tites,  and  in  occasional  sports  which  are,  after  all , 
only  imitations  of  those  scenes  of  blood  and  carnage 
to  which  their  lives  are  chiefly  devoted. 

When  I  compare  the  pleasure  I  experience  in  read 
ing,  in  acquiring  knowledge,  in  studying  the  wonders 
of  nature  and  the  goodness  of  God  in  his  providence 
towards  man  ;  when  I  feel  the  delightful  emotions  of 
love  to  my  parents  and  to  my  kindred,  and  the  charms 
of  society  with  good  and  wise  and  learned  people; 
when  I  compare  all  these  with  the  fierce  and  brutal 
ways  of  Indian  life,  my  heart  bounds  with  gratitude 
and  exultation  that  I  enjoy  the  one  and  have  escaped 
the  other! 


Typ.  Ernest  Moyr 


THK     WHITK     OWL. 


THE   WHITE   OWL. 


The  boundary  between  the  states  of  New  York  and 
Connecticut  is  formed,  to  a  considerable  extent,  of  a 
range  of  mountains,  the  several  peaks  of  which  have 
different  names.  One  of  these  is  but  little  more  than 
a  naked  rock,  and,  being  formed  of  limestone,  has  a 
whitish  look,  when  seen  from  a  distance.  It  bears 
the  name  of  the  White  Owl,  derived  either  from  its 
appearance  or  an  ancient  legend  that  still  lingers 
among  the  neighboring  inhabitants.  The  story  is  as 
follows : 

The  winter  of  1780  was  one  of  the  most  severe  that 
has  ever  been  experienced  in  this  country,  and,  for 
half  a  century  after,  was  known  by  the  name  of  the 
hard  winter.  As  early  as  November,  the  ground  was 
covered  with  snow.  It  continued  to  fall  almost 
every  day,  until  it  lay  upon  the  earth  at  a  general 
level  of  five  feet.  The  fences  were  all  buried,  the 


78  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

roads  blocked  up,  and  fcr  several  weeks  there  was  no 
passing  from  village  to  village.  During  the  month  of 
February,  the  cold  had  become  intense ;  many  of  the 
sheep  and  cattle  were  buried  beneath  the  snowdrifts, 
and  perished.  The  suffering  of  the  people  through 
out  the  country  was  increased  by  the  poverty  of 
the  inhabitants,  in  consequence  of  the  war  with  Eng 
land,  which  still  raged  in  the  country. 

At  this  period,  there  dwelt  at  the  foot  of  the  White 
Owl  a  man  of  middle  age,  celebrated  alike  for  his 
bodily  strength,  his  courage,  and  his  various  advent 
ures.  He  was  one  of  those  persons  who  are  al 
ways  meeting  with  something  extraordinary;  and 
such  was  his  peculiar  character,  that  he  had  ac 
quired  the  familiar  title  of  Hardhead.  He  was  of 
a  restless  temper,  and  not  even  the  severity  of  the 
season,  already  mentioned,  could  keep  him  quiet. 
In  midwinter,  and  while  the  earth  lay  buried  in 
snow,  he  sallied  forth,  and  took  his  way  up  the  rocky 
slope  of  the  mountain. 

It  appears  that  he  had  not  been  gone  long,  before 
his  foot  slipped  upon  the  snow,  which  had  now 
become  covered  over  with  a  hard,  glassy  crust. 
Sliding  down  the  mountain  a  considerable  distance,  he 


THE    WHITE     OWL.  79 

was  as  last  thrown  against  the  trunk  of  a  large  tree. 
The  force  of  the  shock  was  such  as  to  deprive  him  at 
once  of  all  signs  of  life.  How  long  be  lay  in  this 
condition  is  not  known;  but  four  persons  chanced  to 
be  passing  near  the  spot,  and  found  him  stretched 
upon  the  snow.  He  appeared  to  be  dead,  and  no 
doubt  entered  the  minds  of  the  individuals  who  dis 
covered  him,  but  that  he  was  frozen  to  death. 

They  were  at  a  distance  of  more  than  two  miles 
from  any  house,  and  they  were  therefore  embarrassed 
to  know  how  to  proceed  in  disposing  of  the  body  of 
their  unfortunate  neighbor.  After  some  consultation, 
they  concluded  to  deposit  it  in  a  cavern  near  by, 
which  one  of  the  party  had  previously  discovered 
while  hunting  among  the  mountains.  This  was  ac 
cordingly  done,  and,  as  a  defence  against  wild  beasts, 
the  mouth  of  the  cave  was  closed  by  rolling  into  it  an 
enormous  stone. 

Having  accomplished  this,  the  men  went  their 
way,  intending,  as  soon  as  possible,  to  return  with 
assistance  from  the  neighboring  village,  in  order  to 
bestow  upon  the  remains  of  the  huntsman  the  rites 
of  burial.  This  design,  however,  was  baffled  by  the 
augmented  severity  of  the  winter.  Day  by  day,  the 

10 


80  FAGGOTS    FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

snow  increased,  and  the  cold  grew  more  and  more 
intense.  All  communication  with  the  mountain  was 
soon  cut  off,  and  every  individual  was  occupied  in 
taking  care  of  himself  and  his  family,  or  in  assisting 
his  neighbors. 

Several  weeks  passed  away,  and  the  body  of  the 
huntsman  that  had  been  left  in  the  cavern,  was  al 
most  forgotten.  The  cold  weather  continued  till  late 
in  the  following  spring.  It  was  not  till  the  early  part 
of  May  that  the  immense  masses  of  snow  and  ice, 
which  had  been  amassed  in  the  ravines  of  the  moun 
tains,  were  wholly  melted  away.  Three  months  had 
now  elapsed  since  the  four  men  had  placed  the  body 
of  the  huntsman  in  the  cave.  It  became  a  question 
in  the  village  whether  they  should  permit  it  to  re 
main,  and  consider  the  cavern  as  its  final  tomb,  or 
whether  it  should  be  taken  out,  and  placed  in  the 
burial  ground. 

The  latter  opinion  at  last  prevailed.  About  a 
dozen  persons  accordingly  proceeded  to  the  mountain 
for  the  purpose  of  carrying  this  design  into  effect. 
With  considerable  effort  they  rolled  away  the  stone 
from  the  mouth  of  the  cave.  They  then  paused  for  a 
few  moments,  feeling  a  kind  of  horror  at  the  idea  of 


THE    WHITE    OWL.  81 

entering  what  they  deemed  the  house  of  death.  It  is 
not  possible  to  describe  their  amazement  at  seeing 
something,  bearing  the  image  of  a  man,  now  crawling 
forth  upon  its  hands  and  knees  from  the  cavern ! 
The  apparition  bore  a  countenance  pale  and  haggard ; 
the  beard  was  long,  and  the  hair,  standing  in  all  di 
rections,  was  white  as  the  driven  snow.  The  spec 
tacle  was  too  awful  to  be  withstood.  Most  of  the 
party  fled  at  first  sight.  A  few  lingered  to  take  a 
more  deliberate  view  of  the  seeming  monster;  but  as 
the  image  came  more  fully  into  the  light,  and  seemed 
to  fix  its  glaring  eyes  on  those  around,  they  too  were 
seized  with  terror,  and  fled. 

The  story  of  an  awful  adventure  in  the  mountains 
was  soon  spread  through  the  village.  At  an  early 
hour  in  the  evening,  every  family  was  gathered  in, 
and  the  door  shut ;  no  one  dared  to  venture  abroad 
that  night.  Two  or  three  persons,  who  had  the 
hardihood  to  look  out  of  their  windows,  declared  that 
they  saw  the  ghost  of  Jacob  Hardhead  passing  along 
in  the  moonlight.  On  the  morrow,  sitting  upon  the 
steps  of  the  meeting-house,  there  was  found  a  man, 
who  seemed  to  be  on  the  verge  of  threescore  years 
and  ten.  The  minister  of  the  parish,  with  the  two 


82  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

deacons  and  selectmen,  approached  and  questioned 
the  stranger.  He  pointed  to  the  mountain,  then  shook 
his  head,  and  was  silent.  It  was  no  other  than  Ja 
cob  Hardhead!  He  retired  to  his  dwelling,  and 
months  passed  away  ere  he  was  able  to  tell  his  story. 
His  tongue  was  then  loosed,  and  he  gave  an  account 
of  his  adventures. 

As  he  was  climbing  the  mountain,  his  attention 
was  arrested  by  a  large  owl  sitting  upon  the  branch 
of  an  aged  tree.  It  was  entirely  white,  and  seemed 
looking  about  wistfully  for  food.  As  the  huntsman 
approached,  the  bird  plunged  into  the  hollow  of  an 
enormous  oak,  that  stood  upon  the  slope  of  the  ridge, 
and  disappeared.  Approaching  the  oak  with  the 
intention  of  ascending  it  in  search  of  the  owl,  his 
foot  gave  way,  and,  sliding  upon  the  snow-.crust,  he 
had  been  precipitated  to  the  bottom  of  the  cliff. 

When  his  senses  returned,  he  found  himself  in  a 
state  of  complete  darkness.  Groping  about,  he  was 
at  last  able  to  make  out  that  he  was  in  a  cavern.  By 
degrees,  his  eye  became  adjusted  to  the  darkness, 
and  he  was  able  to  see  the  objects  around  him. 
The  cave  was  of  considerable  extent,  and  he  found 
it  to  consist  of  several  chambers,  one  above  another. 


THE    WHITE     OWL.  83 

Utterly  at  a  loss  to  conceive  how  he  had  become  thus 
imprisoned,  he  still  determined,  if  possible,  to  get 
out.  He  sought  to  roll  away  the  stone  which  had 
been  placed  at  the  mouth  of  the  cave,  but  he  was 
much  enfeebled,  and  his  strength  was  inadequate  to 
the  task. 

A  long  time  passed,  and,  at  length,  he  found  him 
self  in  want  of  food ;  but  how  could  he  obtain  it  ? 
He  had  now  before  him  all  the  horrors  of  starvation. 
When,  at  last,  he  seemed  about  to  die  of  hunger, 
relief  came  from  a  quarter  least  to  be  expected.  He 
had  ascended  to  one  of  the  upper  apartments  of  the 
cavern,  and  thrown  himself  down  in  expectation  of 
soon  breathing  his  last,  when  he  saw  the  very  bird 
which  had  been  the  occasion  of  his  misfortune,  de 
scending  through  an  opening  in  the  roof  of  the  cave. 
It  alighted  upon  a  projecting  shelf  of  the  rock  imme 
diately  above  his  head. 

What  was  the  joy  of  the  prisoner  to  observe  that 
the  owl  had  a  young  rabbit  in  its  claws  !  Unperceived 
he  reached  forth  his  hand ,  and  seized  the  legs  of 
the  quadruped  as  they  projected  over  the  rock.  He 
pulled  gently,  but  the  bird  held  on,  seeming  deter 
mined  not  to  relinquish  its  feast.  But  the  prisoner 


84  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

proved  the  stronger  of  the  two,  and  soon  possessed 
himself  of  the  rabbit.  The  owl  looked  hither  and 
thither,  and  seemed  greatly  bothered  at  what  had 
happened;  but  the  creature  did  not  appear  to  suspect 
the  truth.  After  fidgeting  about  for  a  time,  it  went 
to  sleep,  and  left  our  hero  to  devour  the  rabbit  with 
what  appetite  he  could. 

To  make  a  long  story  short,  the  owl  made  frequent 
visits  to  the  cave,  always  bringing  a  rabbit,  a  squirrel, 
a  barn-door  fowl,  or  something  of  the  kind.  A  part 
of  this  plunder  was  taken  by  our  hero,  who  thus 
sustained  life  during  the  three  months  of  his  impris 
onment.  His  long  confinement  in  the  chill  bosom 
of  a  cavern,  the  scantiness  of  his  food,  and  the 
anxiety  which  filled  his  mind,  turned  his  hair  white, 
bowed  his  frame,  and  gave  him  the  aspect  of  old  age. 
He,  however,  lived  many  years,  and  his  story  passed 
down  to  after  times  among  other  curious  legends  con 
nected  with  the  mountain. 


THE    LIFE   AND   ADVENTURES 


OF 


THOMAS   TITMOUSE. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Gentle  Reader,  allow  me  to  introduce  to  you  one 
of  my  friends,  named  Titmouse!  Let  us  suppose 
that  he  is  present,  here  before  us.  Mr.  Titmouse, 
these  are  my  friends  —  John,  and  James,  and 
Susan,  and  Lucy !  Now  you  may  go,  my  pretty  bird ! 

Well,  as  Titmouse  is  gone,  we'll  have  a  little  talk 
about  him.  But  remember,  boys  and  girls,  I  never 
say  any  thing  bad  of  a  neighbor  who  has  just  made 
me  a  call.  Some  people,  as  soon  as  any  one  has 
turned  his  back,  fall  to  picking  him  to  pieces.  How 
they  do  make  the  feathers  fly !  But  this  is  not  my 
way.  I  tell  you  all,  Black  Eyes  and  Blue,  if  you 


86  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

come  to  see  me,  I  shall  say  nothing  but  good  of  you 
when  you  are  gone ,  and  for  this  plain  reason  —  I 
shall  feel  nothing  but  pleasure  in  thinking  about  you. 
Other  people  may  do  as  they  please.  They  may  think 
it  witty,  and  smart,  and  racy,  and  spicy,  and  clever, 
and  every  thing  else,  to  say  sour  things  of  other 
people.  I  think  just  the  contrary.  Why,  what  is 
so  easy  as  to  pick  flaws  and  find  fault  with  people 
who  are  absent?  This  is  called  backbiting;  and  to 
mean  and  vulgar  minds,  it  is  just  as  natural  as  it  is 
for  a  rattlesnake  to  bite  those  who  come  in  his 
way. 

But  we'll  not  trouble  ourselves  about  backbiters 
and  rattlesnakes;  for  as  I  have  said,  I  am  going  to 
tell  you  of  my  friend,  Thomas  Titmouse.  Now,  you 
must  know  that  Tom  had  a  father  and  mother;  and, 
as  to  that  matter,  most  people  have  fathers  and 
mothers,  at  one  time  or  another.  I  remember  one 
fellow,  —  his  name  was  Bob  Berry,  —  a  freckled, 
curly-headed,  blue-eyed  chap,  who  insisted  upon  it 
that  he  never  had  any  father  and  mother,  but  that  his 
auntBiddikin  was  both  to  him.  By  the  way,  this  Bob 
Berry — or,  as  we  used  to  call  him,  Bobberry — was 
famous  for  always  eating  chesnuts,  and  for  always 


ADVENTURES  OF  THOMAS  TITMOUSE.  87 

having  bis  pocket  full,  at  the  same  time.     He  could 
run  faster,  throw  a  stone  farther,  fly  a  kite  higher, 
shoot  an  arrow  farther,  than  any  other  boy  at  West- 
Lane  school,  always  excepting  Bill  Keeler.  I  cannot 
say  much  of  his  book  learning;  for,  to  tell  the  truth, 
he  was  no  great  student.     The  moment  he  put  a 
book  before  him ,  he  became  cross-eyed  :  one  eye 
turned  up  to  the  wall,  and  the  other  squinted  down 
at  the  floor.     The  master,  whose  name  was  Peppery, 
tried  to  whip  Bob  Berry's  eyes  straight;  but  the 
more  be  whipped,  the  more  crooked  they  grew. 
One   thing  was   very  curious.      As  soon  as   the 
master  began  to  lay  on  the  stick,  Bob  always  began 
to  eat  chesnuts;  and  he  went  on  till  it  was  all  over. 
Master  Peppery  grew  tired,  at  last,  and  gave  it  up. 

Well,  as  I  said,  Bob  was  very  clever  in 

Really,  I  must  beg  your  pardon ,  gentle  reader. 
I  had  nearly  forgotten  my  pretty  friend  Thomas 
Titmouse,  whose  portrait  is  hanging  up  before  me, 
and  whose  history  I  am  going  to  tell  you.  You  will, 
perhaps,  excuse  an  old  man's  rambling,  especially 
as  this  has  always  been  my  way.  When  I  was  a 
boy,  I  often  set  out  to  do  one  thing,  and  actually 

did  another.     I  remember  that  when  I  was  about 

ll 


FAGGOTS     FOR    THE     FIRESIDE. 

eight  years  old,  I  was  directed  to  take  two  bags, 
and  go  on  the  old  mare,  to  Burt's  mill,  four  miles 
off;  there  get  two  bushels  of  rye,  have  it  ground, 
and  bring  the  flour  home  in  one  bag,  and  the  bran 

in  the  other.     That  was  the  way  in  R forty 

years  ago. 

Well,  at  Burt's  mill,  there  was  a  famous  fish  pond, 
and  so  I  calculated  to  fish  while  the  grist  was  grind 
ing.  If  you  will  believe  it,  I  set  out  with  a  capital 
hook  and  line  and  a  box  of  worms  for  bait;  I 
mounted  the  mare;  I  travelled  the  four  miles;  I 
reached  the  mill;  but  I  had  forgotten  the  bags! 
What  a  scarlet  fever  I  had  for  about  two  minutes! 
However,  it  was  too  late  to  go  back ;  but  the  sun 
was  two  hours  high,  and  so  I  went  to  fishing;  and — 
and — 

But  about  this  Tom  Titmouse !  I  must  go  on 
with  his  story,  particularly  as  it  is  a  very  good  story. 
I  am  sorry  to  set  such  a  bad  example  of  waste  of 
time  — but  we  all  have  our  failings.  The  fact  is, 
that  when  I  was  a  boy,  nobody  had  watches  or 
clocks,  and  so  we  took  things  easy.  We  had  three 
great  epochs  in  the  day — sunrise,  noon,  and  sunset. 
The  first  and  the  last  were  easily  settled,  in  fair 


ADVENTURES  OF  THOMAS  TITMOUSE.  89 

weather.  When  it  was  cloudy,  we  guessed  at  it. 
Noon  was  determined  by  a  crease  cut  on  the  south 
door-sill.  When  the  shadow  got  to  that,  it  was 
twelve  o'clock.  This  was  a  well-defined  point,  for 
then  we  had  dinner!  Dear  me,  how  nice  it  was — 
pork,  and  cabbage,  and  greens!  Alas!  we  don't 
have  any  such  now.  And  the  water  —  clear  as 
crystal,  cool  and  refreshing  as  nectar.  What  would 
I  not  give  for  a  drink  out  of  the  old  iron-bound 
bucket !  Never  shall  I  hear  such  music  again  as 
that  old  thing  made  against  the  stones ,  as  it  went 
rattling  up  and  down.  But  I  was  talking  of  the  time 
of  day.  As  I  said ,  nobody  had  watches.  We  did 
not  say,  it  is  nine  o'clock,  or  eleven  o'clock,  etc. ;  not 
at  all.  We  went  by  the  sun  in  those  glorious  old 
days.  He  was  our  timepiece !  We  did  not  regulate 
the  day  by  a  little  French  machine ,  no  bigger 
than  one  of  Kelt's  crackers.  No,  indeed !  We  used 
to  say,  "  The  sun  is  an  hour  high;  "  or  "  The  sun  is 
two  hours  high.  "  Those  were  great  times.  Every 
thing  then  was  grand.  Why,  a  ten  foot  pole  seemed 
longer  to  me  then,  than  a  magnetic  telegraph  does 
now.  A  raccoon,  in  the  woods,  was  equal  to  a 


90  FAGGOTS    FOR    THE     FIRESIDE. 

grisly  bear;  and  a  wild  turkey  was  as  tall  as  a 
giraffe ! 

"  I  remember,  I  remember 

The  fir-trees  dark  and  high; 
I  used  to  think  their  slender  tops 

Were  close  against  the  sky. 
It  was  a  childish  ignorance; 

But  now  'tis  little  joy 
To  know  I'm  farther  off  from  heaven 

Than  when  I  was  a  boy." 

But  really,  this  Tom  Titmouse.  What  shall  I 
do?  I  have  used  up  my  paper  aud  must  beg  you, 
good  reader,  to  wait  till  another  chapter. 


CHAPTER  II. 

Well,  as  I  was  saying,  Thomas  Titmouse,  or  Tom 
Tit,  as  he  was  generally  called, — a  circumstance  by 
no  means  against  him,  surely,  for  many  celebrated 
personages  have  had  nicknames,  before  his  time. 
Cromwell  was  familiarly  known  as  Old  Noll ;  Napo 
leon  was  the  Little  Corporal;  Andrew  Jackson  was 


ADVENTURES   OF  THOMAS    TITMOUSE.  91 

Old  Hickory;  Wellington  was  the  Iron  Duke;  Gen 
eral  Taylor  was  Old  Zack.  The  truth  is,  a  nickname 
is  a  sure  sign  of  celebrity,  and  therefore  the  short 
title  of  Tom  Tit  shows  that  our  hero  is  an  individual 
of  note,  and  well  known  to  all  the  world. 

Well,  I  began  to  speak  of  Tom's  father;  and,  as 
to  that,  I  might  say  a  word  of  his  grandfather,  and 
grandmother,  too,  and,  indeed,  of  his  ancestors  far 
ther  back.  It  is  not  every  one  that  can  tell  who  or 
what  his  great  grandfather  was ;  but  in  this  case,  we 
have  the  materials  for  a  very  precise  biography.  We 
can  not  only  say  who  Tom's  great  grandfather  was, 
but  we  can  tell  his  favorite  food,  his  hours  of  rest, 
labor  and  recreation ;  the  exact  color  of  his  eyes ;  his 
weight  to  a  quarter  of  an  ounce ;  and  his  height  to  a 
quarter  of  an  inch. 

Tom's  grandfather,  then,  or  rather  his  great  grand 
father,  —  for  I  had  got  back  to  him, — bore  the  same 
name  as  his  descendant,  the  subject  of  the  present 
sketch.  He  was  in  many  respects  an  example  worthy 
of  imitation.  He  went  to  bed  early,  and  arose 
with  the  sun.  He  was  a  Washingtonian  in  drink, 
never  tasting  any  thing  but  water,  and  of  this  he 
took  just  enough,  and  no  more.  How  much  misery 


92  FAGGOTS    FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

would  be  prevented  if  mankind  would  imitate  the 
example  of  Tom  Titmouse,  the  elder  !  And  then,  as 
to  cakes,  and  sweetmeats,  and  ice  creams,  and  jel 
lies,  and  trifles,  and  hot  oysters,  and  all  that. — 
Mr.  Titmouse  never  in  his  life  put  one  of  these 
things  into  his  mouth.  And  what  was  the  conse 
quence  ?  Why,  he  was  a  happy,  lively,  cheerful 
fellow,  from  infancy  to  old  age.  He  kept  all  the 
commandments,  so  far  as  they  were  made  for  him. 
Who  is  there  can  say  more  ? 

While  I  am  about  it,  I  may  as  well  say  a  word  of 
Tom's  grandmother.  The  fact  is,  that  the  very  word 
grandmother  stirs  up  the  most  interesting  recollec 
tions.  How  well  I  remember  my  grandmother,  with 
her  black  silk  dress,  her  tall  laced  cap,  her  high- 
heeled  shoes,  her  long  waist,  and  her  majestic  gait! 
She  was  like  a  moving  statue  of  Minerva,  grown  old, 
to  be  sure,  and  with  abundance  of  gray,  frizzed  hair. 
She  was  a  sort  of  divinity  to  others — grave,  stately, 
venerable  —  an  object  of  reverence.  To  me,  she 
was  kind,  gentle,  tender,  motherly.  Oh,  what  beau 
tiful  hymns  she  recited  to  me !  Alas !  shall  I  ever 
hear  such  again  ? 

Sometimes  she  would  sing  me  little  songs  in  a 


ADVENTURES  OF  THOMAS    TITMOUSE.  93 

sweet  voice.     I  remember  one  of  them   called  the 
SNOW-FLAKES,  and  which  was  as  follows  : 

Gently,  gently,  falls  the  snow; 
Lightly,  lightly,  soft  and  slow; 
Pretty  crystals,  tell  me  why  — 
Leave  your  home  in  yonder  sky? 

All  above  is  pure  and  true, 
Pretty  snow-ilakcs — just  like  you. 
Then  why  in  heaven  take  your  birth, 
Yet  seek  a  home  on  this  dark  earth? 

Thus  I  spoke,  and  seemed  to  hear 
A  gentle  spirit  whisper  near — 
Though  from  heaven  the  snow-flakes  fall, 
And  mix  with  earth — the  fate  of  all — 

When  their  winter  task  is  done, 
They  '11  melt  and  mingle  with  the  sun; 
And  his  beams,  in  dew-drops  rise, 
Pure  as  before,  to  yonder  skies. 

And  there  was  a  ballad  which  my  grandmother 
used  to  sing  which  I  shall  never  forget ;  for  although 
it  was  in  a  gay  sort  of  measure,  her  tones  were  so 
melancholy  that  they  sank  deep  into  my  heart.  I 
must  repeat  the  lines  : 


94  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

WHISTLING  TOM. 

Did  you  never  hear  of  poor  Whistling  Tom, 

A  sailor  who  loved  the  sea ! 
As  brave  as  a  lion  was  whistling  Tom, 

And  blithe  as  a  lark  was  he ! 

A  gale  was  a  frolic  to  poor  old  Tom  — 
He  called  it  a  cracking  breeze  — 

And  gaily  he  whistled  whenever  the  blast 
Drove  the  maddcn'd  ship  o'er  the  seas. 

His  trill  was  soft  as  a  nightingale's  song , 

Yet  you  heard  it  above  the  roar; 
Though  the  vessel  dashed  and  the  billow  flashed, 

Tom  only  whistled  the  more. 

If  reefing  a  topsail  that  shivered  aloft  — 
While  the  yards  dipped  deep  in  the  spray  — 

Like  a  careless  bird  in  his  stormy  swing 
He  whistled  and  worked  away. 

But  the  bravest  must  die,  and  poor  old  Tom 
One  night  made  the  waves  his  pillow —     , 

He  sleeps  there  yet,  though  he  whistles  oft, 
When  the  tempest  lashes  the  billow. 

I  have  heard  his  note  in  the  midst  of  the  blast; 

It  wailed  like  a  spirit's  moan; 
He  seemed  aloft  on  the  staggering  mast, 

And  whistled,  "  Poor  Tom's  alone!  " 


ADVENTURES  OF  THOMAS  TITMOUSE.  95 

As  the  tempest  rises,  the  strain  growrs  wild, 

And  shrieks  in  the  ocean's  roar. 
When  the  storm  is  past,  it  dies  away 

And  poor  Torn  is  heard  no  more  ! 

Now  is  not  that  a  good  song?  I  wish  I  could  find 
somebody  to  sing  it  as  my  grandmother  did.  And 
then  she  told  such  stories  about  giants,  and  fairies 
and  all  that !  She  had  lived  in  the  time  of  the  revo 
lutionary  war,  and  had  seen  Washington,  and  Old 
Put,  and  that  blacksmith  Quaker  of  Rhode  Island, 
named  Nathaniel  Greene,  who  threw  away  his  strait 
collar  and  broad  brim,  and  went  to  fighting;  and 
when  he  got  at  it,  made  the  Redcoats  trot  hither  and 
thither  as  they  had  never  done  before  in  all  their 
lives. 

Well,  my  grandmother  knew  all  these  people;  and 
what  stories  she  did  tell  about  them!  It  really 
seemed  to  me  that  I  could  see  them;  and  such  was 
my  awful  reverence  for  these  great  men,  that,  up  to 
the  time  I  was  seventeen,  I  had  a  sort  of  idea  that 
Washington  was  about  three  times  as  tall  as  Goliath 
of  Gath;  Put  as  strong  as  Samson;  and  Nat  Greene 
more  of  a  general  than  Julius  Caesar,  Alexander,  and 
Hannibal,  all  put  together. 

12 


96  FAGGOTS     FOR    THE     FIRESIDE. 

But  to  return.  Let  me  see — where  was  I  ?  Oh, 
I  have  it;  I  was  speaking  of  Thomas  Titmouse, 
whose  biography  I  had  promised  to  the  reader.  For 
the  sake  of  brevity,  I  shall  call  him  Tom,  or  Tom 
Tit,  or  simple  Tit,  as  the  case  may  require.  I  beg 
to  say  that  by  this  abbreviation  I  mean  no  disparage 
ment  to  the  subject  of  this  memoir.  Tom,  or  Tit, 
or  Tom  Tit,  or  Thomas  Tit,  or  Tom  Titmouse  —  I 
always  mean  the  same  thing.  This  matter  of  name  is 
not  material ;  the  thing  signified  is  the  essential  point. 
"  A  rose,"  says  the  poet,  "  by  any  other  name 
would  smell  as  sweet.  "  This  reminds  we  of  a  Good 
story. 

When  I  was  a  boy,  I  went  to  school,  as  I  said,  to 
Master  Philo  Peppery.  Now,  in  those  days ,  there 

was  no  market  in  R ,  and  people  did  not  kill  an 

ox  every  day.  We  had  no  penny  papers  to  tell  every 
thing  that  went  on,  and  a  good  deal  more.  Squire 
Keeler,  Colonel  Bradley,  and  General  King  took  the 
Connecticut  Courant  between  them  :  thus  we  got  the 
news.  As  to  other  matters,  we  heard  the  gospel  at 
meeting  on  Sundays,  and  were  satisfied.  But  when 
an  ox  was  killed,  the  event  was  advertised  at  school. 
The  way  was  this  :  toward  the  close  of  the  day,  when 


ADVENTURES  OF  THOMAS  TITMOUSE.  97 

all  the  reading,  spelling,  writing,  and  whipping  were 
over,  and  just  before  that  glorious  word,  "DIS 
MISSED  ! "  was  announced,  old  Peppery  used  to  say, 
"  Let  all  be  seated  !  Attention  !  If  any  one  knows 
who  has  killed  a  beef,  let  him  rise  and  speak ! " 
Now,  it  chanced  that  on  one  occasion,  the  master 
had  seated  the  school,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  awful 
silence,  he  said,  as  usual,  "  If  any  one  knows  who 
has  killed  a  beef,  let  him  rise  and  speak  !  "  In  an 
instant,  a  lively  little  fellow,  by  the  name  of  Richard 
Pease,  jumped  up,  and  said  smartly,  "  I  don't  know 
any  body  that's  killed  a  beef,  but  uncle  Seth  has 
killed  a  hog. "  A  terrible  titter  broke  out  on  all 
sides.  Peppery  was  amazed.  "  Down,  Dicky!" 
said  he,  in  a  voice  of  thunder ;  and  Richard  Pease 
went  by  the  name  of  Down  Dicky  till  after  he  was 
one  and  twenty.  But  the  name  did  not  change  him, 
for  he  was  the  same  lively,  pleasant  fellow  as  before. 
But,  as  I  was  saying,  Thomas  Titmouse —  .  . 
Really,  gentle  reader,  I  beg  your  pardon  ;  I  cannot  do 
justice  to  the  memoir  I  have  undertaken  in  this  chap 
ter;  let  us  therefore  adjourn  to  another. 


98  FAGGOTS    FOR     THE    FIRESIDE. 

CHAPTER  III. 

I  find  it  will  be  necessary  to  pass  over  Tom's  ances 
tors,  grandfather,  grandmother  and  all.  I  must  pass  by 
his  uncles  and  aunts,  and  even  his  brothers,  sisters 
and  cousins;  or  else  his  biography  would  stretch  out 
to  an  octavo.  It  will  be  easily  understood  that  I 
make  a  great  sacrifice  in  this  hop-skip-arid-jump 
over  Tom's  relatives.  Think  of  his  relations,  the 
snow-birds  :  by  the  way,  you  remember  the  lines : 

When  the  leaves  and  flowers  are  dead, 
When  the  other  birds  are  fled, 
When  the  winter  wind  is  keen, 
Then  the  snow-birds  all  are  seen. 

"When  the  flakes  are  falling  fast, 
When  the  forest  feels  the  blast, 
When  the  drifts  in  circles  play, 
'Tis  the  snow-birds'  holiday. 

When  the  earth  is  covered  deep, 
Wh.f;n  in  ice  the  rivers  sleep, 
When  all  other  things  are  sad, 
Hark !  the  snow-birds'  voice  is  glad ! 


ADVENTURES  OF  THOMAS  TITMOUSE.  99 

When  the  frost  is  on  the  pane, 
When  the  wailing  winds  complain, 
When  the  hoys  come  shivering  in, 
Hark,  the  snow-birds'  cheerful  din! 

But  when  Spring,  mid  rosy  light, 
Bids  stern  Winter  take  his  flight, 
The  snow-birds,  in  his  stormy  train, 
Fly  northward,  where  he  holds  his  reign, 

Well,  then  there  are  the  chickadees,  and  the  yellow- 
birds,  and  the  sparrows,  and  the  linnets,  and  lots  of 
other  large  and  ancient  families ,  all  very  near  ac 
quaintances,  if  not  blood  relations,  of  the  Titmouses. 
How  many  good  stories  I  could  tell  about  them  ! 

However  we  are  writing  the  history  of  Tom 
Titmouse,  and  as  the  subject  is  a  very  fruitful  one, 
we  must  overlook  what  is  foreign  to  the  subject  and 
go  straight  on  with  the  matter  in  hand.  This  dilly 
dallying,  shilly-shallying  will  never  do  in  biography, 
however  it  may  answer  in  other  things.  I  therefore 
proceed. 

Tom  Titmouse  —  the  hero  of  our  story,  —  was 
what  you  may  call  a  sharp  fellow.  Not  sharp  in 
the  bad  sense,  you  know  :  not  like  Ned  Sharp,  of 


100  FAGGOTS    FOR     THE    FIRESIDE. 

whom  there  is  a  very  good  story,  and  which,  by  the 
way,  I  may  as  well  tell  you  before  I  forget  it. 

Now  Ned —  or  Edward,  for  that  was  his  real 
name  —  was  not  ill  natured  nor  ill  tempered ,  nor 
very  wicked  in  any  way ;  but  he  dearly  loved  to  tease 
people,  and  many  a  saucy  joke  did  he  play  upon  his 
youthful  companions.  Even  his  sister  Jane,  who 
was  a  good,  kind  creature  as  ever  lived,  was  often 
made  the  subject  of  Ned's  mischievous  practices. 

In  vain  did  the  boy's  father  and  mother  advise, 
caution,  and  threaten  him  for  his  faults  and  follies; 
a  spirit  of  elvish  fun  seemed  to  be  in  his  very  nature. 
But  at  last  he  got  cured  in  a  way  nobody  expected. 

The  story  is  this  :  Ned  had  one  day  placed  a  pin 
in  the  bottom  of  a  chair,  with  the  point  sticking  up, 
and  he  expected  somebody  would  sit  down  upon  it. 
From  this  he  anticipated  a  deal  of  sport.  He  had 
not  put  the  point  up  very  high,  so  as  to  inflict  a 
severe  wound;  but  he  chuckled  a  great  deal  at  the 
idea  of  seeing  some  one  bound  out  of  the  chair,  as  if 
stung  by  a  bumble-bee. 

But  it  chanced  that  no  one  sat  down  in  the  chair 
for  some  time,  and  Ned's  attention  being  directed  to 
something  else,  he  forgot  all  about  the  pin.  After  a 


ADVENTURES  OF  THOMAS' TITMOUSE. 

little  time,  he  was  caught  in  his  own  trap,  for  he  sat 
down  bang  in  the  chair,  and  the  pin  entered  pretty 
deeply  into  his  flesh!  In  his  agony  and  surprise,  he 
jumped  into  the  air,  and  uttered  a  terrible  cry. 

At  first  everybody  in  the  room  looked  about  with 
wonder,  but  pretty  soon  Jane  went  to  the  chair,  and 
there  seeing  the  pin  artfully  arranged,  she  had  no  dif 
ficulty  in  guessing  at  the  cause  of  the  uproar.  She 
directed  the  attention  of  every  one  in  the  room  to  the 
pin,  and  at  once  all  eyes  were  turned  on  Master  Ned. 
He  very  speedily  ceased  crying,  and  hung  down  his 
head  in  shame.  It  was  needless  to  preach  a  sermon 
to  him  on  the  occasion.  He  saw  very  clearly  the 
moral  of  his  adventure — which  was,  that  he  who 
sets  traps  for  others,  is  sure  some  day  or  other  to  be 
caught.  From  that  time  he  gave  up  his  habit  of 
teasing  and  mischief-making,  and  long  before  he  was 
a  man,  he  had  learned  to  practise  kindness  to  all 
around  him. 

But  to  return.  Let  me  see — : where  was  I?  Oh ! 
I  was  speaking  of  Tom's  being  naturally  a  smart  fel 
low;  and  when  I  say  this,  I  beg  to  be  clearly  under 
stood.  To  be  smart,  is  not  to  be  overbearing  and  to 
injure,  oppress  and  tread  upon  those  who  are  beneath 


e  <.  o     ",  ••;  ?  «• 

102  FAG.5TOTS    FOR    THE     FIRESIDE. 

you;  it  is  not  to  wound  the  body  or  the  feelings  of 
those  who  are  more  sensitive  than  you  are;  it  is  not 
to  be  selfish  and  make  your  own  plans  and  interests 
prosper  by  sacrificing  the  interests  of  others.  There 
are  many  people  who  thrive  by  being  hard  and 
selfish  and  therefore  are  called  smart;  but  after 
all,  this  is  a  dangerous  course.  You  remember  my 
story  of  the  TWO  DOGS?  No?  well,  I  may  as  well 
tell  it. 

Once  upon  a  time,  Two  Dogs — the  one  a  stout, 
athletic  fellow — the  other  small,  delicate,  and  feeble 
—  were  chained  together.  In  this  condition,  they 
wandered  from  home,  and  set  forth  upon  their  adven 
tures. 

The  large  dog  chanced  to  be  entirely  selfish,  and 
cared  for  nothing  but  to  gratify  his  own  appetites, 
whims,  and  caprices.  When  he  came  across  a  piece 
of  meat  or  a  bone,  he  took  it  all  to  himself.  When 
he  desired  to  go  in  any  particular  direction,  thither 
he  went.  If  his  little  friend  and  companion  begged 
for  a  portion  of  the  food,  rough  old  Jowler  snarled 
and  snapped  at  him,  and  would  not  let  him  have  a  bit. 
If  little  Trip  grew  weary,  and  desired  to  take  some 
rest,  the  big  dog  dragged  him  along,  and  wondered 


ADVENTURES  OF  THOMAS  TITMOUSE.  103 

that  such  an  insignificant  creature  should  think  of 
having  any  wishes  of  his  own. 

Thus  affairs  went  on  between  the  two  dogs  for 
several  days.  Jowler  had  his  way  in  every  thing, 
and  was  constantly  out  of  humor  with  Trip,  because 
he  sometimes  interfered  with  his  appetite  or  plea 
sure.  In  all  this,  Jowler  thought  he  was  consult 
ing  his  own  happiness ;  but  selfishness  blinded  his 
judgment,  just  as  it  sometimes  does  the  judgment 
of  human  beings.  Jowler  carried  the  joke  too  far. 
Poor  Trip,  getting  nothing  to  eat,  and  being  pulled 
and  hauled  about,  grew  very  thin  and  faint.  At  last, 
he  could  bear  his  miseries  no  longer;  so  he  lay  down 
and  died. 

What  a  horrid  situation  was  this  for  Jowler!  He 
had  lost  his  companion;  but  this  was  not  all.  The 
dead  body  clung  to  him,  and  he  could  not  shake 
it  off.  He  dragged  it  about  for  a  time,  but  the  effort 
was  very  painful.  By  degrees,  Jowler  grew  weary, 
and  at  last,  overcome  with  fatigue ,  he  lay  down  upon 
the  ground,  from  which  he  was  unable  to  rise. 
Here  he  remained  in  great  distress  for  some  days, 
when  at  last  he  also  died. 

This  is  a  sad  story,  but  it  conveys  a  lesson,  which 

13 


104  FAGGOTS     FOR   THE     FIRESIDE. 

it  is  well  for  all  to  learn.  Selfishness  toward  our 
friends  and  companions  is  always  wrong,  and,  soon 
or  late,  it  is  likely  to  bring  punishment  upon  us. 
Even  if  no  other  evil  come  from  it,  the  remembrance 
of  our  injustice  is  sure  to  haunt  us,  and  be,  like  the 
dead  body  of  Trip  to  poor  old  Jowler,  a  burden  from 
which  it  is  impossible  to  deliver  ourselves. 

But,  really  —  I  hardly  know  what  is  the  matter 
with  me.  I  believe  I  am  getting  sleepy,  and  no 
doubt  you  are  too,  rny  gentle  reader.  So,  with  your 
leave,  I'll  take  a  nap.  When  you  want  the  rest  of 
Tom  Titmouse's  biography,  I  beg  you  will  wake 
me  up! 


THE   WOLF    AND   THE  FOX. 


A  wolf  once  made  complaint  that  he  had  been 
robbed,  and  charged  the  theft  upon  his  neighbor  the 
fox.  The  case  came  on  for  trial  before  a  monkey, 
who  was  justice  of  the  peace  among  the  quadrupeds 
in  those  parts.  The  parties  did  not  employ  lawyers, 
but  chose  to  plead  their  cause  themselves.  When 
they  had  been  fully  heard,  the  judge,  assuming  the 
air  of  a  magistrate,  delivered  his  sentence  as  fol 
lows  : 

"  My  worthy  friends  and  neighbors,  I  have  heard 
your  case,  and  examined  it  attentively;  and  my  judg 
ment  is,  that  you  both  be  made  to  pay  a  fine;  for 
you  are  both  of  bad  character,  and  if  you  do  not 
deserve  to  be  punished  now,  it  is  likely  you  will 
deserve  to  be  so  very  soon.  That  I  have  good 


106  FAGGOTS    FOR    THE     FIRESIDE. 

grounds  for  this  decree,  is  sufficiently  evident  by  the 
fact,  that  Mr  Wolfs  jaws  are  even  now  stained  with 
blood,  and  I  can  see  a  dead  chicken  sticking  out  of 
Mr  Fox's  pocket,  notwithstanding  the  air  of  injured 
innocence  which  he  wears.  And  besides,  one  who 
gets  an  evil  reputation  can  think  it  no  hardship  if  he 
is  occasionally  made  to  suffer  for  a  crime  he  did  not 
commit. " 

This  fable  teaches  us  to  beware  of  an  evil  repu 
tation  ;  for  it  may  cause  us  to  be  punished  for  the 
misdemeanors  of  others.  Thus,  if  a  person  gets  the 
character  of  a  liar,  he  will  not  be  believed  when  he 
tells  the  truth;  and  when  a  theft  is  known,  it  is  of 
course  laid  to  some  one  who  has  been  caught  in 
stealing  before. 


THE   BOB    LINK. 


June,  the  first  of  the  summer  months,  presents  us 
with  many  interesting  things.  The  meadows  are 
now  covered  with  flowers  in  full  bloom  :  the  forests 
have  put  on  their  beautiful  garments  of  green :  the 
birds  are  busy  in  tending  their  young;  the  mornings 
are  ushered  in  with  silvery  dews,  and  the  evenings 
come  like  a  soft  veil  thrown  over  the  cradle  of  her 
children,  by  the  gentle  hand  of  nature,  to  make  their 
slumbers  sweet  and  secure. 

The  farmer  is  now  engaged  in  gathering  his  crop 
of  hay,  —  though,  as  he  swings  his  scythe,  he  un 
happily  disturbs  many  a  pretty  nest  of  the  meadow 
lark,  the  sparrow,  and  the  boblink.  How  the  latter 
does  sing  "Get  out  o'  the  way,  old  Dan  Tucker," 
— as  the  mower  intrudes  upon  his  dominion !  How- 


FAGGOTS    FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

ever,  it  is  better  that  Bob  should  be  disturbed  now 
and  then,  than  that  the  cattle  should  starve,  and 
every  body  go  without  milk  and  meat. 

But  let  us  go  to  some  field,  where  the  mower 
has  not  yet  appeared.  Let  us  stop  and  listen  to  Bob 
— with  his  white  nightcap  on.  What  a  set  of  names 
he  has  got — boblink — bob  o'  linkoln — skunk  black 
bird — and  rice  bird.  He  seems  to  have  as  many 
names  as  those  rogues  who  are  sent  to  the  state's 
prison,  yet  he  has  no  other  quality  in  common 
with  robbers  and  counterfeiters.  He  is  no  thief, 
for  what  he  takes,  he  takes  in  open  day;  he  is  no  pick 
pocket,  for  while  the  cat-bird  filches  cherries,  straw 
berries,  raspberries,  and  grapes,  Bob  is  content  with 
the  was*e  seeds  of  the  meadows.  He  is  no  counter 
feiter, — no,  he  is  a  downright  fellow,  and  is  never 
afraid  to  speak  his  mind.  Meet  him  where  you  will 
he  springs  into  the  air,  and  seems  to  give  you  a  chal 
lenge  in  the  following  words  : 

"Jem  Richardson,  Jem  Richardson, — getaway 
— get  away  :  it 's  very  disagreeable  of  you  to  trouble 
us  :  get  away  !  get  away  !  " 

Different  people  fancy  the  boblink  to  say  different 
things.  A  girl  of  sixteen  blushes  at  his  open,  imper- 


THE     BOB    LINK.  109 

linent  calling  oat  of  the  name  of  her  lover,  which  she 
supposed  a  secret  to  every  one  but  herself;  the  miser 
thinks  his  song  like  the  jingling  of  keys;  a  tory  fan 
cies  that  the  rogue  calls  him  a  whig;  a  whig,  that  he 
reviles  him  as  a  tory;  a  boy  going  home  from  school, 
imagines  that  he  is  mocking  him  for  spelling  the  word 
jingo,  with  two  g's.  If  Bob  could  really  write  a  song, 
I  think  it  would  be  something  as  follows  : 

BOB  O'LINKOLN'S  SONG  TO  THE  MOWER. 

Tinkle,  tinkle,  Mister  Ninkum, 

I  am  merry  Bob  O'Linkum  : 

Prithee,  tell  me  what's  the  matter, 

That  you  are  making  such  a  clatter. 

Can't  you  leave  us  honest  iblks 

To  sing  our  songs  and  crack  our  jokes? 

It  is  cruel,  Mister  Ninkum 
Thus  to  bother  Bob  O'Linkum. 
I  had  thought  the  meadow  mine 
With  its  blossoms  all  so  tine ; 
And  I  made  my  little  nest 
Near  the  clover  all  so  blest. 

But  you  come,  oh  naughty  Ninkum, 
All  unheeding  Bob  O'Linkum  — 


110  FAGGOTS    FOR    THE    FIRESIDE. 

And  you  swing  your  saucy  blade, 
Where  my  little  nest  is  made ; 
And  you  cut  the  blooming  clover, 
Which  did  wrap  my  young  ones  over. 


Get  you  gone,  Oh  Naughty  Ninkum, 
Leave  the  field  to  Bob  O'Linkum, 
Let  him  on  his  light  wing  hover 
O'er  the  summer  scented  clover  : 
Let  him  sing  his  merry  song 
And  he'll  thank  you  all  day  long. 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY 


OF  A 


SPARROW. 


April,  the  second  of  the  spring  months,  is  intro 
duced  by  a  sort  of  holiday,  when  all  the  wags  exert 
their  wit  to  pass  off  practical  jokes  upon  their  friends 
and  companions.  In  the  olden  time,  the  1st  of 
April  was  called  All-fools'  day,  and  from  time  im 
memorial,  it  has  been  thought  allowable  for  every 
body  to  make  as  much  fun  of  every  body  else  upon 
this  occasion,  as  they  please.  The  origin  of  such  a 
strange  custom  is  not  well  ascertained,  but  whoever 
may  have  invented  it,  it  seems  to  be  a  favorite  day 
with  young  people,  and  we  know  of  some  old  ones 
who  enter  fully  into  the  spirit  of  the  time.  For 
ourselves,  we  are  free  to  confess  that  we  have  been 
April-fooled  more  than  once,  and  that  too  by  those 

who  do  not  number  a  fifth  part  of  our  years;  and 

u 


112  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

we  may  add,  that  we  enjoy  the  innocent  and  pleasing 
jokes  put  upon  us  ,  as  heartily  as  those  we  crack  off 
upon  others. 

But  it  is  April,  and  we  have  something  agreeable  to 
say  of  this  month,  though  some  people  call  it  ca 
pricious,  changeable,  uncertain,  and  all  that.  April 
is  positive  spring —  a  little  chilly  now  and  then, 
no  doubt,  but  still,  it  has  no  winter  in  it.  It  is 
not  like  March,  a  mixture  of  sour  and  sweet,  of 
rough  and  smooth ,  gentle  and  rowdy.  In  April, 
the  grass  begins  to  look  green,  the  daisies  peep  tim 
idly  out  along  the  southern  slopes,  the  buds  of  the 
lilacs  swell,  the  crocuses  burst  into  blossom,  the 
showers  come  pattering  down  from  heaven,  as  if  the 
earth  were  a  garden  to  be  watered  for  the  approaching 
season  of  fruits  and  flowers.  It  is  indeed  spring; 
the  myriads  of  inhabitants  of  the  vegetable  world 
are  springing  into  birth;  the  myriad  insects  are 
springing  from  their  shells,  and  preparing  to  enter 
upon  their  happy  existence.  Hope  springs  up  in  the 
heart  of  man ;  the  old  renew  their  youth,  and  the  young 
look  forward  with  joy  into  the  pictured  regions  of 
the  future. 

Among  all  the  pleasing  incidents  of  spring,  there 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY     OF     A    SPARKOYV.  113 

are  none  perhaps  more  gratifying  than  the  return 
of  the  birds.  What  a  beautiful  department  in  the 
kingdom  of  nature,  is  that  of  the  feathered  tribes !  How 
varied  are  they  in  size  and  shape !  How  graceful 
their  forms  —  how  beautiful  their  flight  —  how  lovely 
their  music — how  interesting  their  manners  and 
customs — how  exquisite  their  plumage — how  admi 
rable  the  mechanism  of  their  bodies — how  amazing 
and  mysterious  their  instincts! 

The  relation  of  these  creatures  to  man  increases 
the  interest  which  they  excite.  I  am  not  now  think 
ing  of  geese  and  turkeys,  hens  and  chickens,  ducks 
and  partridges,  which  minister  to  mere  animal  plea 
sures;  but  of  those  vague  aerial  creations  which  live 
around  us,  and  in  companionship  with  us,  yet  always 
at  such  a  distance  as  to  prevent  that  familiarity  which 
breeds  contempt,  and  to  keep  alive  the  mystic  interest 
with  which  we  regard  them. 

Little  people  are  very  apt  to  be  fond  of  big  things. 
Thus,  children,  who  can  hardly  run  alone,  are  de 
lighted  with  eagles  and  ostriches.  As  we  grow  older, 
we  regard  objects,  not  according  to  size,  but  accord 
ing  to  other  qualities.  So  it  is  with  me,  and  being 
an  old  man,  I  look  with  more  interest  upon  the 


114  FAGGOTS     FOll     THE    FIRESIDE. 

little  wren  that  I  see  hopping  about  my  garden — the 
chipping-bird  that  builds  in  the  lilac-bush  beneath 
my  window,  and  the  robin  that  sings  from  the  top 
of  one  of  my  old  apple-trees,  than  I  do  upon  the 
wild  geese  that  are  seen  shooting  like  arrows  through 
the  heavens,  or  the  eagle  that  bathes  his  wing  in 
the  crimson  clouds  of  morning. 

How  many  pleasant  ideas  come  to  us  as  these  fa 
miliar  birds — the  sparrows,  the  wrens,  the  robins — 
return  to  us  in  April,  after  their  long  absence,  and 
their  far  journeyings  during  the  winter !  How  plea 
sant  are  their  little  faces,  as  they  peep  at  us  from 
amid  the  bushes  !  How  sweet  are  their  timid  and 
trembling  notes ,  as  they  begin  their  rehearsal  for 
their  summer  concert!  How  do  they  remind  us  of 
fruits  and  flowers  of  past  years — of  past  pleasures — 
of  things  beautiful  in  themselves,  and  more  beautiful 
as  they  are  now  departed! 

Our  interest  in  every  thing  is  increased  as  it  may 
be  connected  with  ourselves.  The  child  loves  his 
toy,  his  dog,  his  kitten,  his  pig  better  than  any  other 
toy,  dog,  kitten,  or  pig  in  the  wide  world.  Old 
boys  are  pretty  much  like  young  boys,  and  I, 
Robert  Merry,  confess  that  I  have  a  peculiar  attach- 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY    OF    A    SPARROW. 

mont  to  a  particular  bird,  that  for  three  succes 
sive  years  has  built  his  nest  in  a  bush  not  far  from 
one  of  my  windows.  He  is  one  of  the  smallest  spe 
cies  of  sparrows  which  are  seen  in  New-England; 
we  call  him  by  the  name  of  Ghipping-Bird.  He  is 
what  the  naturalists,  who  love  big  words,  call  Frin- 
gilla  Melodia;  but  all  the  boys  and  girls  like  him 
better  by  his  more  homespun  title. 

Though  he  has  never  read  any  of  the  good  books, 
he  seems  to  me  to  be  a  remarkably  intelligent,  vir 
tuous,  well  behaved  sparrow.  He  never  has  more 
than  one  wife  at  a  time;  he  never  scolds  her,  he  sings 
to  her  his  best  songs,  and  treats  her  in  a  loving  and 
sympathizing  manner.  He  is  up  early  in  the  morn 
ing,  and  thus  is  a  pattern  of  industry.  He  is  never 
out  late  at  night,  he  drinks  nothing  but  cold  water, 
and  spends  no  idle  time  at  the  tavern.  He  does  what 
is  to  be  done,  and  always  in  the  best  manner.  He 
is  cheerful,  and  thus  rebukes  the  gloomy.  He  sings 
gay  songs,  sports  upon  the  breeze,  and  gabbles  and 
frolics  on  the  edge  of  a  brook.  He  thus  seizes  upon 
the  joys  of  life  ,  and  says  to  those  who  would  be  sad 
or  sour,  "  Go  thou  and  do  likewise.  " 

He  builds  his  nest  with  infinite  care  and  art.     He 


116  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

watches  over  the  mother  during  the  period  of  incu 
bation,  and  often  takes  her  place  upon  the  nest.  When 
the  young  ones  are  hatched,  his  joy  is  unbounded. 
Early  and  late  he  is  upon  the  wing,  and  the 
choicest  seeds  and  insects  are  put  into  their  little 
gaping  mouths.  As  they  advance  in  age,  he  sings  to 
them  the  melodies  that  God  has  taught  him.  With 
jealous  eye,  he  watches  every  cat  or  bird  of  prey  that 
comes  near,  and  if  need  be,  rushes  in  the  face  of 
destruction  for  their  defence.  He  is  indeed  a  very 
model  of  a  father. 

Such  is  my  little  Dick  Sparrow.  It  is  now  April, 
and  he  has  just  come  back  to  me.  Sweet  bird,  I  am 
glad  to  see  thee !  There  is  thy  bush — I  give  it  to 
thee  in  fee — no  boy,  no  dog,  no  cat,  shall  disturb 
thee  there!  There  bring  thy  mate,  there  sing  thy 
song,  there  build  thy  nest,  there  rear  thy  young.  I 
owe  thee  much,  and  what  I  owe,  I  will  repay.  I 
give  thee  welcome,  Dick,  and  the  more,  that  thou 
art  late  in  thy  coming.  Thou  art  wont  to  be  here 
before  April-fool's  day.  Pray,  what  has  delayed 
thee  ?  What  have  been  thy  adventures  since  we 
parted?  Where  hast  thou  been?  What  climes 
hast  thou  visited  ?  What  dangers  hast  thou  escaped? 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY    OF     A    SPARROW.  117 

What  pleasures  hast  thou  enjoyed?  Would  thou 
couldst  tell  thy  story,  Dick.  I  have  ten  thousand 
little  friends,  who  would  be  very  glad  to  hear  it. 
Why  art  thou  dumb  when  I  make  this-  appeal? 
Thou  canst  sing,  but  alas,  there  is  an  impassable 
gulf  between  thee  and  me  !  Speech,  thou  hast  not; 
so  I  must  tell  thy  story  for  thee.  Well,  Dick,  here 
is  thy  tale,  and  if  it  be  the  work  of  fancy,  thou  at 
least  wilt  never  contradict  my  words. 

"Chip-chip-cheer-r-r-r-r-y —  Pray  how  shall  I  be 
gin  !  Perhaps  a  rhyme  or  two  will  set  me  going ;  so  — 

Come  all  ye  little  Boys  and  Girls, 
With  sunny  locks  or  raven  curls — 
With  eyes  of  black  or  eyes  of  blue, 
And  hear  a  story  told  for  you ! 

"Well,  now  I  must  begin  at  the  beginning.  I 
was  born  somewhere  in  New  England,  in  a  bush 
situated  upon  the  borders  of  an  orchard.  I  recol 
lect  very  little  of  what  happened  to  me  before  I  was 
hatched,  and  therefore,  I  shall  say  nothing  about  it. 
The  brood  of  which  I  was  one,  contained  four  indi 
viduals.  We  were  carefully  tended  by  our  parents, 
and  speedily  found  ourselves  covered  with  feathers. 


118  FAGGOTS    FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

During  the  period  which  had  thus  elapsed,  our  pa 
rents  were  engrossed  with  their  family  cares,  though 
they  occasionally  sang  a  song,  or  uttered  a  cry  of 
alarm,  as  some  prowling  cat  or  wanton  boy,  came 
near  our  nest. 

"  When  at  last  our  feathers,  wings,  and  tails  were 
pretty  well  grown,  preparations  began  to  be  made 
for  leaving  our  nest.  This  was  a  great  event.  Hith 
erto  we  had  lived  quietly  at  home,  having  no  cares 
and  no  fears,  and  being  troubled  about  nothing.  Now 
we  were  to  venture  forth  into  the  wide  world.  In  a  few 
days,  we  were  to  be  left  by  our  parents  to  take  care 
of  ourselves ;  to  rough  it  and  tough  it  as  we  might. 

"  At  this  time,  my  father  and  mother,  especially 
the  latter,  seemed  to  be  in  a  state  of  great  anxiety. 
I  was  the  first  to  sally  from  the  nest;  I  stood  upon 
the  edge  of  it  for  a  time,  and  looked  all  around. 
Then  I  whisked  my  tail,  and  flourished  my  wings, 
and  shook  my  feathers.  I  was  very  much  afraid  to 
start,  but  both  my  parents  seemed  to  say,  "  Go  it, 
Dick, "  and  away  I  went.  I  caught  on  one  of  the 
lower  limbs  of  the  bush,  having  performed  a  flight 
of  at  least  fifteen  inches.  When  I  had  done  this 
and  got  myself  well  poised  upon  the  twig,  I  looked 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY     OF     A    SPARROW.  119 

around,  and  felt  as  least  as  large  as  a  cock  turkey. 
I  now  think  less  of  flying  fifteen  miles,  than  I  did 
then  of  flying  fifteen  inches. 

"  My  little  bed-fellows  soon  followed  my  example, 
though  with  varied  success.  One  who  was  a  feeble 
constitution,  missed  his  footing  and  tumbled  upon 
the  ground.  He  cried  piteously  for  help,  and  my 
parents  did  all  they  could  for  his  relief;  they  spoke 
to  him  cheerily,  encouraged  him  to  hop  along,  and 
either  by  hopping  or  flying,  to  ascend  into  the  higher 
branches  of  the  bush;  but  it  was  all  in  vain.  Night 
came  on,  and  there  he  sat  upon  the  cold  ground, 
wailing  amid  the  darkness.  Toward  morning,  I  saw 
a  horrid  cat  approaching.  She  pounced  upon  the 
little  bird,  and  uttering  a  faint  cry,  he  perished  in 
her  claws ! 

"The  next  day,  the  three  of  us  that  remained, 
continued  in  our  native  bush  till  toward  night;  a 
thoughtless  boy  then  came  along,  and  hearing  us 
peep,  he  sent  a  stone  at  random  among  us.  He 
then  went  along,  not  seeming  to  know  or  care  for 
what  he  had  done.  But  one  of  my  little  compan 
ions  had  his  leg  broken,  and  after  suffering  great 
pain  for  some  hours,  he  expired. 

15 


120  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

"  The  two  of  us  that  survived,  were  able  to  fly  to 
some  distance.  Here  we  found  shelter  in  the  thick 
bushes.  We  continued  here  for  about  a  fortnight, 
under  the  care  of  our  parents ,  who  fed  us  and  in 
structed  us  with  great  attention.  We  then  emerged 
from  our  retreat,  and  began  to  fly  about  freely,  in 
the  woods.  T  soon  parted  from  my  parents,  and 
from  that  time  have  never  seen  them.  I  remained 
in  the  company  of  my  little  brother  for  some  time, 
but  one  day  he  was  snatched  up  by  a  hawk,  and  I 
saw  him  no  more. 

*  *  I  soon  found  that  a  sparrow's  life  was  surround 
ed  with  dangers.  Why  it  should  be  so,  I  could 
not  tell,  but  all  human  beings  seemed  to  owe  me  a 
grudge.  Boys,  in  particular,  never  passed  near  me 
without  throwing  a  stone  or  stick  at  me.  I  soon 
learned  to  shun  these  creatures  as  my  worst  enemies. 
I  found,  also,  that  cats,  owls,  hawks,  and  serpents 
were  ever  ready  to  devour  me  when  I  chanced  to 
come  in  their  way. 

"  Under  such  circumstances,  it  might  seem  that 
I  must  have  been  the  constant  subject  of  fear  or  ter 
ror.  Yet  it  was  not  so ;  I  found  that  by  a  little  pru 
dence,  I  could  keep  out  of  harm's  way,  which  I  took 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY    OF    A    SPARROW.  121 

good  care  to  do.  I  found  plenty  to  eat,  for  if  seeds 
were  scarce,  I  could  feast  upon  gnats,  flies  and  other 
insects.  I  had  ever  abundance  before  me  ;  my  revel 
began  in  the  morning,  and  only  ended  at  night. 
Sometimes  I  wandered  about  the  world  alone,  and 
sometimes  I  kept  company  with  birds  of  my  own 
feather.  I  practised  music  every  day,  and  became 
an  expert  singer. 

"Thus,  in  roaming  about  from  the  forest  to  the 
valley,  and  the  valley  to  the  forest,  in  passing  from 
one  scene  to  another,  in  feasting,  singing,  and  frol 
icking,  my  life  flowed  happily  on.  But  a  change  was 
now  approaching.  The  summer  was  passed,  and 
autumn  began.  The  chill  winds  blew,  and  the  leaves 
fell  down  from  the  trees  like  a  shower.  Flurries 
of  snow  came  drifting  on  the  wind.  The  wise  old 
sparrows  said  it  was  time  to  be  off.  So  away  we 
went,  taking  a  southerly  direction. 

"We  proceeded  by  easy  stages;  some  days  we 
flew  fifty  miles,  and  on  others  we  did  not  go  five.  If 
we  met  with  plenty  of  food,  we  sometimes  lingered 
till  the  approach  of  the  cold  winds  from  the  north 
warned  us  to  proceed  on  our  journey.  We  passed 
over  many  towns  and  cities ;  we  crossed  rivers,  lakes, 


122  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

and  bays.  We  visited  many  countries,  and  at  last, 
far  away,  away  in  the  south,  we  found  a  land  of 
perpetual  summer.  Here  the  cold  snows  of  the 
north  could  never  visit  us  ;  here  the  fruits  and  flow 
ers  were  seen  at  all  seasons  upon  the  trees,  and 
here  in  this  beautiful  country,  which  bore  the  name 
of  Florida,  I  spent  five  long  months. 

"  During  this  period,  I  lived  happily,  for  I  had 
plenty  to  eat,  and  had  companions  all  around  me, 
and  amid  mirth  and  music  time  sped  away.  It  is 
true  that  pleasure  had  its  drawbacks.  We  found 
hawks,  owls,  cats,  and  serpents  ready  to  devour 
us  here,  as  well  as  at  the  north.  But  I  never  per 
mitted  these  evils  to  disturb  my  peace.  My  heart 
was  sometimes  made  to  beat,  by  seeing  one  of  my 
companions  struck  down  by  my  side.  But  such 
things  were  soon  dismissed  from  my  mind.  Life 
seemed  to  me  a  pleasant  thing,  and  I  made  up  my 
mind  to  enjoy  it  while  it  lasted. 

*  *  At  length  the  period  arrived  when  it  was  said 
we  might  return  to  the  north.  This  gave  me  great 
delight,  for  1  felt  that  this  southern  courtry  was  not 
my  true  home ;  I  longed  to  get  back  to  the  land 
pf  my  birth.  I  therefore  very  cheerfully  joined  my 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY     OF     A    SPARROW.  123 

companions,  and  we  set  out  for  our  return.  On  we 
went,  chipping  and  chirping,  sauntering  and  singing, 
sometimes  frolicking  like  a  set  of  madcaps,  and  then 
steadily  winging  our  way  as  if  we  were  a  parcel  of 
little  steam-engines. 

"  Never  shall  I  forget  the  joy  I  felt  in  getting  back 
to  the  very  orchard  in  which  I  was  born.  It  is  true 
that  I  had  some  sad  recollections,  when  I  thought 
of  my  two  little  friends  that  perished  beneath  their 
birth-bush,  but  my  natural  gaiety  prevailed,  and 
mounting  to  the  very  top  of  an  apple-tree,  I  sang 
the  most  lively,  laughing,  rowdy  songs  I  could  think 
of.  Now  I  must  tell  you  that  near  this  very  orchard, 
there  was  a  comfortable  looking  house,  belonging 
to  a  man  who  was  lame,  and  always  walked  with 
a  stout  cane.  He  seemed  to  me  to  be  a  kind-hearted 
old  fellow. 

"  It  was  said  among  all  the  birds  round,  that  he 
permitted  nobody  to  throw  a  stone,  shoot  an  arrow, 
or  discharge  a  gun  at  any  kind  of  bird  on  his  prem 
ises.  It  was  also  said  that  he  always  boxed  the 
ears  of  boys  who  destroyed  birds'  nests  or  birds' 
eggs,  or  took  away  young  birds,  provided  he  could 
catch  them.  I  watched  the  old  fellow  for  some  time, 


424  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

and  one  day  ventured  into  a  lilac-bush,  close  to  a 
piazza  in  which  he  was  sitting.  He  saw  me,  and 
said  something,  which  I  understood  to  be,  "  You 
are  welcome,  Mr.  Sparrow." 

66  Before  this,  you  must  know  that  I  had  formed 
an  attachment  to  a  young  sparrow  of  my  own  age, 
We  had  come  all  the  way  from  Florida  together.  I 
told  her  about  the  kind  old  gentleman  with  the  big 
cane,  and  described  the  lilac-bush  and  the  wel 
come  I  had  received.  Having  said  this  to  my  little 
friend,  Polly  Sparrow,  I  Waited  for  a  reply. 

"  Well,  "  said  Polly,  "  you  saw  a  lilac-bush  and 
an  old  gentleman,  and  he  seemed  to  give  you  wel 
come.  What  happened  then?" 

"  Why,  nothing  happened,  "  said  I ;  "  but  I  pro 
pose  that  you  and  I  should  build  a  little  nest  in  that 
bush,  that  you  should  have  four  beautiful  little 
speckled  eggs,  and  then  four  little  young  sparrows." 

66  As  I  said  this,  I  looked  in  Polly's  eyes.  She 
winked,  said  nothing,  and  flew  away.  I  flew  after  her, 
and  we  had  a  real  race  and  chase  of  it.  I  lost  sight 
of  her,  at  last;  but,  on  looking  about,  I  found  her 
in  the  very  lilac-bush  that  we  had  been  speaking  of! 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY     OF     A     SPARROW.  125 

We  then  had  a  hearty  laugh,  sang  our  song,  and 
went  to  building  our  nest. 

"  I  need  not  go  on  to  relate  my  adventures,  though 
a  full  account  of  them  would  fill  a  book.  For  three 
successive  years  I  have  built  my  nest  and  reared  my 
young  brood  in  the  same  place.  I  have  formed  a 
fast  friendship  with  the  old  gentleman  whose  tenant 
I  am,  and  hope  for  many  years  still  to  enjoy  his  pro 
tection.  Every  winter  I  take  my  journey  to  the 
south,  and  return  with  the  earliest  spring. 

"Though  my  life  extends  to  but  four  years,  I 
have  sung  ten  thousand  songs,  travelled  fifty  thou 
sand  miles,  devoured  one  hundred  thousand  insects, 
and  three  hundred  thousand  seeds." 


THE    CHILDREN  OF   THE   SUN, 


CHAPTER    I. 

On  the  narrow  and  crooked  isthmus  which  con 
nects  North  with  South  America,  about  three  miles 
eastward  of  the  present  city  of  Panama,  the  traveller 
may  find  the  mouldering  ruins  of  an  ancient  city. 
The  place  is  now  quite  deserted;  but  the  shattered 
and  decaying  remains  of  houses ,  churches  and  for 
tifications,  show  that,  at  some  remote  period,  this 
was  the  site  of  a  considerable  town.  It  is,  indeed, 
the  spot  where  the  old  city  of  Panama  stood,  which 
was  plundered  and  ruined  by  Morgan,  the  renowned 
buccanier,  in  1670. 

It  is  to  this  place,  and  as  far  back  as  the  year 
1530,  that  we  ask  the  reader,  in  imagination ,  to  ac 
company  us.  The  scene  presented  at  that  time  was 


THE  CHILDREN  OF  THE  SUN.  127 

strange  and  striking.  All  around  bore  an  aspect  of 
wildness,  save  the  little  settlements  which  had  been 
recently  made  by  the  Spaniards.  The  mountains, 
which  here  are  broken  into  ridges ,  between  which 
are  broad  and  fertile  valleys,  rose  into  lofty  pinna 
cles,  and,  at  the  period  of  which  we  speak,  their 
slopes  were  covered  with  forests  which  nowhere 
showed  the  encroachments  of  man.  In  the  wide 
scene  bounded  on  the  west  by  the  Pacific,  and  on 
the  east  by  the  Andes,  not  a  cultivated  field,  not  a 
town,  a  city,  or  a  village,  was  presented  to  the  eye. 
The  ocean,  too,  was  yet  the  empire  of  the  whale 
and  the  porpoise,  for  not  a  vessel  had  ventured  to 
do  more  than  to  cruise  along  the  coast  to  the  dis 
tance  of  a  few  leagues. 

The  settlement  of  Panama,  which  soon  after  rose 
into  a  city,  and  became  the  centre  of  trade  in  this 
quarter  of  America,  consisted  almost  wholly  of  rude 
barracks  for  soldiers,  a  church  of  rough  stones,  and 
a  few  scattered  dwellings,  mostly  of  wood,  mingled 
with  thatch.  In  this  place,  so  recent  in  origin,  and 
so  humble  in  its  actual  condition,  there  were  still 
hearts  and  minds  that  were  filled  with  a  pitch  of 
enthusiam,  and  an  ardor  of  enterprise,  not  easily 

16 


128  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

conceived  in  our  more  tranquil  days.  America  had 
now  been  discovered  about  forty  years.  It  had  been 
found  to  contain  the  precious  metals  —  gold  and  sil 
ver —  in  an  abundance  which  surpassed  the  dreams 
of  the  most  unbounded  avarice.  Mexico  had  been 
conquered.  Less  than  a  thousand  Spanish  soldiers 
had  mastered  eight  millions  of  people,  and  all  their 
unmeasured  wealth  had  become  the  spoil  of  the  vic 
tors. 

Nor  was  even  this  all.  It  was  rumored  that  em 
pires  still  richer  than  Mexico  lay  to  the  southward  of 
Panama,  and  that,  while  gold  and  silver  were  so 
abundant  there  as  to  be  used  for  the  commonest 
utensils,  the  people  were  even  less  warlike  and  less 
capable  of  defence,  than  those  whom  Cortez  had 
subdued.  The  name  of  Peru  had  reached  the  ears 
of  the  settlers  upon  the  isthmus ,  and  this  was  said 
to  be  the  chief  empire  of  the  continent  of  South 
America.  It  may  well  be  believed  that,  among  a  set 
of  greedy,  bold,  and  unscrupulous  adventurers,  like 
those  in  the  settlement  we  have  just  described,  such 
intelligence  should  have  excited  the  most  extravagant 
dreams  of  conquest  and  plunder,  to  be  realized  in 
the  yet  unexplored  regions  of  the  south. 


THE  CHILDREN  OF  THE  SUN. 

In  this  state  of  things,  we  must  introduce  to  our 
readers  a  group  of  Spanish  soldiers,  sitting  beneath 
a  tent,  at  a  little  distance  from  the  barracks  we  have 
mentioned.  They  were  four  in  number  —  three  of 
middle  age,  and  one  a  youth  of  scarce  eighteen. 
They  were  all  heavily  armed,  in  the  manner  of  that 
age,  with  iron  breastplates  and  short,  thick  swords; 
by  their  sides  lay,  for  each,  a  ponderous  arquebus, 
then  used  instead  of  muskets.  All,  save  the  youth, 
had  thick,  short,  black  beards,  a  little  grizzled  and 
burnt  by  years  and  exposure  to  the  sun  and  wind. 
They  lay  idly  upon  the  ground — for  the  weather  was 
excessively  hot ;  but  still  the  conversation  seemed 
animated  and  interesting. 

The  elder  of  the  group  was  speaking.  "Nay, 
Bartolo, "  said  he,  "  I  am  getting  old  for  such  an  ex 
pedition.  Speak  rather  to  Chicama.  He  is  still 
young  enough  to  be  cheated  by  the  dreams  of  glory 
and  ambition.  I  have  had  enough  of  both ;  or,  rath 
er,  I  have  worn  out  my  life  without  seeing  a  great 
deal  of  either — unless  they  consist  in  toil,  hardship, 
and  suffering. " 

"None  of  your  misgivings,  old  Ironchest, "  said 
Bartolo;  "it  is  too  late  for  you  to  repent;  so  you 


130  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

may  as  well  go  forward  and  fulfil  your  destiny.  Non 
sense  !  You  talk  of  remaining  behind,  when  a  pro 
ject  for  plunder  is  afoot?  I  should  as  soon  expect 
to  see  a  wolf  refuse  to  feed  on  a  flock  of  sheep,  be 
cause  of  scruples  of  conscience.  " 

"What  is  this  expedition  every  body  is  talking 
of?"  said  the  younger  of  the  party,  suddenly  rising 
from  a  listless  attitude,  and  giving  his  attention  to 
the  conversation  for  the  first  time. 

"I  will  tell  you,"  said  Bartolo.  —  "You  have 
heard  of  this  dare-devil ,  who  is  called  Francis  Pi- 
zarro?" 

"I  have  heard  of  li'm/'  said  Ghicama;  "but 
I  know  nothing  more  than  that  he  is  esteemed  a  man 
of  great  intrepidity  and  vast  ambition.  " 

"That  is  true  of  him;  but  it  is  not  all, "  said 
Bartolo.  "  He  is  every  way  a  strange  and  wonder 
ful  man.  Every  point  of  his  history  is  marvellous. 
It  is  said  that  he  was  born  upon  the  steps  of  a  church, 
in  Truxillo,  in  Spain,  and,  being  deserted  by  his 
mother,  was  nursed  by  a  sow.  This  may  not  be 
true,  but  it  is  certain  that  his  birth  was  exceedingly 
humble,  and  that  he  was  totally  neglected  in  child 
hood.  He  was  never  taught  even  to  read  or  write, 


THE  CHILDREN  OF  THE  SUN.  131 

and  spent  his  early  days  in  taking  care  of  pigs.  As 
soon  as  he  approached  manhood,  he  ran  away,  be 
came  a  soldier,  and  visited  America.  Here  he  soon 
gained  an  ascendancy  over  those  around  him,  and 
he  is  now  intrusted  by  our  most  pious  sovereign 
with  the  duty  of  conquering  the  renowned  empire  of 
Peru. " 

"  And  this  is  the  expedition  you  are  speaking  of?" 
said  Chicama.  • 

"  It  is,  "  said  Bartolo;  "  and  I,  for  one,  am  going 
to  join  it.  They  tell  wild  stories  of  this  Pizarro  ; 
but  still  he  is  the  very  man  for  such  an  enterprise. 
It  is  only  necessary  to  look  at  him,  to  feel  confidence 
in  him.  He  has  a  frame  that  seems  created  for 
endurance,  while  his  countenance  shows  that  he  was 
made  for  command. " 

"  And  what  are  his  means?"  said  Ghicama. 

"  Oh,  he  has  means  enough.  He  began  this 
scheme  some  years  ago.  Being  joined  by  Almagro, 
whom  every  body  knows  to  be  a  good  soldier,  and 
that  rich,  cunning,  old  priest,  Du  Luque,  they  en 
tered  upon  their  project.  As  their  plan  was  to  rob, 
bora,  murder,  and  plunder  the  Peruvians,  it  was 
necessary  to  sanctify  the  business  by  religious  ser- 


132  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

vices;  so  Du  Luque  said  mass,  and,  dividing  the 
holy  wafer  into  three  parts,  gave  one  to  Pizarro,  an 
other  to  Almagro,  and  took  the  third  himself.  Thus 
the  agreement  was  ratified,  and  the  work  will  now  go 
on  in  the  name  of  the  church.  " 

"Yes,  yes,"  said  Chicama,  "and  if  we  join  the 
expedition,  we  can  murder,  ravage,  and  plunder,  as 
we  please,  and  lay  claim  to  reward  for  good  service 
in  the  cause  of  religion,  to  boot.  " 

"Exactly  so,"  was  the  reply.  "And  further," 
said  Bartolo,  "the  success  of  the  scheme  has  been 
already  put  beyond  doubt.  Pizarro  has  made  an  ex 
pedition  of  three  years  to  the  coast  of  Peru,  and  has 
ascertained  that  the  tales  of  the  immense  wealth  of 
that  country  are  short  of  the  reality.  He  represents 
the  people  as  gentle,  timid  and  imbecile,  living  in 
tranquil  ease;  and,  while  they  possess  vessels  of  gold 
and  silver,  even  for  the  use  of  the  kitchen,  their  per 
sons  are  glittering  with  gems  worthy  of  a  prince's 
crown.  He  has  just  been  to  Spain,  and,  having  ob 
tained  the  assent  and  aid  of  the  king,  he  is  going  in 
a  few  days  to  set  forth  upon  his  enterprise.  " 

"  And  I  shall  go  with  him,"  said  Ghicama.  "And 
so  shall  I, "  said  another,  and  another,  till  the  four 


THE   CHILDREN   OF   THE    SUN.  133 

soldiers  had  each  declared  his  intention  of  joining  the 
adventure  of  Pizarro. 


CHAPTER   II. 

It  was  but  a  short  period  after  the  scene  delineated 
in  the  last  chapter,  that  Pizarro  set  out  from  Pan 
ama  upon  that  expedition  which  resulted  in  the 
conquest  of  Peru.  The  amount  of  his  force,  and 
the  extent  of  his  equipments,  might  excite  a  smile  of 
derision,  did  we  not  know  the  mighty  success  which 
crowned  the  enterprise.  Three  small  vessels  consti 
tuted  his  fleet,  and  one  hundred  and  eighty  men, 
with  thirty-six  horses,  formed  his  entire  army.  It 
was  early  in  the  year  1530  that  he  departed,  and, 
shaping  his  course  by  the  shore,  he  proceeded  east 
ward  till  he  reached  the  bay  of  St.  Matthew,  after 
a  sail  of  thirteen  days.  Here  he  landed  a  part  of  his 
force,  and,  while  the  vessels  coasted  southward,  he 
marched  in  the  same  direction,  keeping  near  the  sea, 
that  he  might  maintain  a  communication  with  his 
ships. 

At  first,  his  track  lay  through  a  sterile  country, 


134  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

thinly  inhabited ;  at  the  same  time,  the  hardships 
and  privations  of  the  men  were  extreme.  These 
were  cheerfully  endured  for  a  time ;  but,  in  a  short 
space,  they  began  to  compare  the  alluring  descriptions 
of  the  country,  that  had  been  spread  before  them, 
with  the  reality.  The  result  was,  a  feeling  of  disap 
pointment,  and  almost  a  spirit  of  revolt.  Pizarro's 
plan,  however,  was  to  attack  and  rob  the  villages 
that  came  in  his  way,  and,  even  in  these,  consider 
able  masses  of  gold  and  silver  were  found. 

Thus  the  flagging  hopes  of  the  invaders  were  kept 
alive,  till  they  reached  the  rich  province  of  Goaque. 
Here  the  soil  was  fertile,  and,  as  it  was  now  April, 
the  aspect  of  the  country  was  charming.  It  was  also 
thickly  peopled,  and  on  every  hand  were  visible  the 
evidences  of  a  rich  and  thriving  community.  Roused 
by  these  appearances ,  Pizarro  and  his  men  rushsd 
upon  the  principal  settlement,  sword  in  hand.  A- 
mazed  by  the  appearance  of  beings  such  as  they  had 
never  before  beheld,  and  finding  themselves  cut  to 
pieces  and  shot  down,  by  weapons  that  seemed  to 
wield  the  thunder  and  the  lightning,  the  inhabitants 
fled  on  every  side.  Abandoning  their  tranquil  and 
peaceful  homes  to  the  destroyers,  they  sought  refuge 


THE     CHILDREN    OF     THE    SUN.  135 

in  distant  villages,  or  hid  themselves  in  the  moun 
tains  and  thickets  around.  The  aged  and  the  help 
less  were  abandoned,  to  be  slaughtered  by  the  wan 
ton  soldiery,  or  to  perish  from  hunger  and  exposure. 
Prizing  but  lightly  what  the  Spaniards  most  coveted, 
their  vessels  and  implements  of  gold  and  silver, 
the  inhabitants  left  these  behind,  and  the  spoil  that 
fell  into  the  hands  of  Pizarro  and  his  men  was  im 
mense. 

Nothing  could  exceed  the  exultation  of  the  victors 
on  this  occasion.  Their  late  despondence  was  at 
once  exchanged  for  the  most  extravagant  rejoicings. 
The  wealth  was  divided  according  to  the  rank  of  each 
individual,  and  the  share  of  the  common  soldiers 
was  such  as  to  make  all  of  them  feel  rich  indeed. 
So  great  an  interposition  of  Providence  in  their  favor 
was  worthy  of  especial  remembrance,  and  Valverde, 
the  priest  and  chaplain  of  the  expedition,  rendered 
public  thanks  to  God  for  having  vouchsafed  so  signal 
a  triumph  to  the  faithful  followers  of  the  cross,  over 
the  pagan  infidels  and  idol-worshippers! 

On  the  evening  of  the  day  that  witnessed  these 
scenes,  two  of  the  characters  whom  we  have  before 
noticed,  Chrcama  and  Bartolo,  were  withdrawn  from 

17. 


136  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

the  rest  of  the  soldiery.  They  sat  upon  a  hill  that 
sloped  gently  to  the  west,  and  seemed,  in  the  far 
distance,  to  be  hounded  by  the  sea.  On  the  east 
rose  a  range  of  lofty  mountains,  over  whose  tops 
the  fall  moon  was  now  beginning  to  ascend. 

"  This  is  a  lovely  land  —  a  paradise  —  is  it  not?" 
said  Chicama  to  his  companion. 

"  Yes  —  no  doubt,"  was  the  reply,  "  if  it  brings 
us  such  treasures  as  these.  See  here,  this  is  solid 
gold ;  and  yet  it  was  used  only  as  a  saucepan  by  these 
savages!" 

"  Poh!  what  do  I  care  for  your  gold  saucepans?" 
said  Chicama.  "I  say,  look  at  the  landscape 
around  us!  Was  ever  a  scene  more  lovely?  It 
really  surpasses  Andalusia,  which  I  had  fondly  dreamed 
was  the  fairest  spot  on  the  globe.  What  a  balmy 
air  —  so  soft,  so  mild,  and  such  sweet  perfumes 
borne  to  us  on  every  breeze  !  And  these  flowers, 
scattered  over  the  uncultivated  hill-side  —  how 
bright,  even  in  the  moonlight !  Really,  it  makes 
me  think  of  Andalusia.  " 

"What  a  romantic  fool !"  said  the  rough  Bar- 
tolo.  "  Here  you  are  talking  of  flowers,  and  the 
moon,  and  Andalusia,  instead  of  looking  over  your 


THE    CHILDREN    OF    THE   SUN.  137 

spoils.  See,  in  that  heap  you  have  more  gold  and 
silver  than  you  ever  handled  before  in  all  your  life  !  " 

"  Not  so, "  said  the  young  soldier;  "  not  so,  old 
Ironsides.  I  am  no  better  than  you  now ;  but  I 
have  been  in  other  circumstances.  Yet  that  is  nei 
ther  here  nor  there,  for  we  are  on  a  level,  as  we  are 
both  soldiers.  Yet " 

6 <  Yet  what?" 

" 1  cannot  tell  you  now;  only,  Bartolo,  if  you  will 
take  my  share  of  the  plunder,  I  shall  be  really  ob 
liged  to  you.  I  do  not  want  it.  " 

"  You  are  still  more  a  fool  than  I  supposed. " 

"  Gall  me  what  you  please,  "  said  Ghicama;  "only 
take  these  treasures.  I  ask  it  as  a  favor." 

The  hardy  old  veteran,  hesitated  a  moment,  and 
looked  curiously  in  the  face  of  his  youthful  compan 
ion;  then,  stooping  down,  he  took  the  proffered 
heap,  which  consisted  of  various  pieces  of  the  pre 
cious  metals,  and,  with  his  own  share,  crammed 
them  into  a  sack.  Having  done  this,  he  laid  it  over 
his  shoulders,  and  proceeded  toward  the  camp,  leav 
ing  Ghicama  behind.  The  youth  sat  upon  the  ground 
for  some  time,  in  silence,  as  if  meditating  deeply; 
and  then  a  gush  of  tears  came  down  his  cheek.  At 


138  FAGGOTS     FOR    THE     FIRESIDE. 

length  he  rose  hastily,  dashed  aside  the  moisture 
which  filled  his  eyes,  and  was  about  to  follow  his 
companion,  when  a  distant  object  attracted  his  at 
tention.  In  a  deep  valley  that  lay  toward  the  moun 
tains,  and  which  was  not  yet  lighted  by  the  rising 
moon,  he  saw  a  white  figure,  moving  slowly  forward. 
Another  followed,  and  still  others,  until  there  seemed 
at  least  fifty,  all  emerging  from  a  huge  and  uncouth 
structure  that  stood  in  the  vale,  and  all  taking  their 
way  in  solemn  procession  toward  the  recesses  of  the 
wilderness  beyond. 

The  scene  excited  the  imagination  of  the  young 
soldier,  and,  not  waiting  a  moment,  he  set  forward 
to  ascertain  the  nature  of  this  strange  spectacle.  He 
walked  a  considerable  distance,  and  was  greatly  sur 
prised  that  the  objects  of  his  pursuit  seemed  still 
almost  as  remote  as  when  he  first  beheld  them.  He, 
however,  went  forward,  and  soon  found  that  the 
clearness  of  the  atmosphere  had  deceived  him,  and 
that  what  he  had  supposed  was  near  at  hand  was, 
in  reality,  at  a  much  greater  distance.  Yet  his 
curiosity  was  too  deeply  moved  to  permit  his  return, 
without  satisfying  it;  and  he  still  strode  forward 
with  an  eager  pace,  and  at  last  approached  the 


1  I) 


CUir.AMA     AM)     HUN  A. 


THE    CHILDREN    OF    THE   SUN.  139 

procession.  He  could  now  discover  that  they  were  all 
women,  their  forms  wrapped  in  white  long  mantles, 
and  their  heads  decorated  with  coronets  feathers. 
They  moved  onward ,  with  a  measured  tread,  singing 
a  mournful  but  monotonous  hymn. 

Chicama  hesitated,  for  a  moment,  what  to  do; 
but,  as  he  saw  no  male  attendants ,  he  suddenly 
emerged  from  the  trees,  and  placed  himself  in  the 
very  path  before  the  leader  of  the  band.  A  terrific 
shriek  from  fifty  voices  rent  the  air,  and  the  proces 
sion  vanished  like  a  dream.  But  one  person  remained, 
the  leader  of  the  troop,  a  woman  in  the  bloom  of 
youth.  She  was  attired  as  the  rest,  with  a  robe  that 
shone  like  snow  in  the  moonlight;  on  her  brow  was 
a  crown,  set  in  front  with  black  eagle's  feathers.  Her 
hair,  which  was  dark  as  the  raven,  fell  long  and  loose 
over  her  shoulders,  while  suspended  from  her  neck 
was  an  image  of  the  sun  richly  chased  in  gold. 
She  was  not  tall,  yet  her  aspect  was  commanding; 
and,  though  she  seemed  in  a  trance  of  amazement  at 
the  sudden  appearance  of  the  young  Spaniard,  it  was 
evident  that  she  disdained  to  fly.  Chicama  was  him 
self  no  less  taken  by  surprise.  Never  before  had  he 
met  with  any  thing  so  strange,  so  romantic,  so  beau- 


HO 


FAGGOTS     FOR    THE     FIRESIDE. 


tiful.  There  was  a  pride  on  the  fair  one's  brow, 
which  seemed  to  speak  defiance;  yet,  as  the  young 
soldier  gazed  into  her  deep ,  dark  eyes,  they  fell, 
and  she  was  for  a  moment  abashed.  But  she  looked 
again,  and  surveyed,  with  a  mixture  of  awe  and 
admiration ,  the  tall  and  slender,  yet  athletic,  form 
of  the  Spaniard,  his  breast  and  back  cased  in  glitter 
ing  steel,  and  his  whole  mien  et  attire,  such  as  she 
had  never  seen  before. 

The  interview  soon  became  awkward,  and  Chi- 
cama  advanced  toward  the  stranger.  She  held  in  her 
hand  a  branch  of  some  flowering  shrub,  and  which 
seemed  to  be  used  as  a  kind  of  sceptre.  With  this 
she  made  a  motion  to  repel  him,  but  he  approached 
and  took  her  hand,  at  the  same  time  kneeling.  There 
was  something  so  respectful  in  his  demeanor,  that 
she  did  not  resist;  but  while  his  lips  were  pressed 
upon  her  hand,  the  twang  of  a  bowstring  washeard, 
and  Ghicama,  with  the  arrow  in  his  bosom,  fell, 
bleeding,  to  the  ground. 


THE  CHILDREN    OF    THE    SUN.  141 

CHAPTER  III. 

We  left  our  hero  upon  the  ground, — wounded 
and  fainting  from  loss  of  blood,  occasioned  by  an 
arrow,  which  had  sped  unseen,  to  his  bosom.  Here 
he  remained  in  a  state  of  unconsciousness  for  some 
time.  When  he  awoke  from  his  swoon,  he  found 
himself  on  a  litter  made  of  branches  of  trees,  and 
borne  forward  by  four  figures,  robed  in  white.  He 
soon  discovered,  that  these  were  part  of  the  train  he 
had  seen  in  the  moonlight,  and  which  had  so  keenly 
excited  his  curiosity.  The  remainder  of  the  proces 
sion  he  could  now  discover,  at  a  little  distance, 
winding  up  the  sides  of  a  mountain. 

His  first  troughts  were  directed  to  the  strangeness 
of  his  situation,  and  the  wildness  of  the  scene  around. 
But,  in  a  few  moments ,  the  smarting  of  his  wound 
recalled  the  incidents  which  had  lately  occurred,  and 
the  scene  which  terminated  in  the  temporary  loss  of 
his  reason.  He  laid  his  hand  upon  his  breast,  and 
now  discovered  that  though  his  garments  were  stained 
with  blood,  the  arrow  had  been  withdrawn,  and  a 
dressing  of  lint  had  been  carefully  laid  upon  the 


142  FAGGOTS     FOR    THE     FIRESIDE. 

incision.  His  mind  then  recalled  the  image  of  the 
leader  of  the  band,  and  dwelt  with  mingled  wonder 
and  admiration  upon  her  form  and  features. 

The  result  of  these  hasty  reflections  was  not  alto 
gether  displeasing  to  the  heart  of  Ghicama.  He  was 
young,  imaginative,  and  fond  of  adventure.  Born 
to  fortune,  and  brought  up  in  ease  and  luxury,  he 
had  still  broken  through  the  softening  influences 
of  education,  and  joined  the  adventurers  who  had 
rushed  in  a  tumultuous  tide  to  the  new-found  world. 
Despising  the  flowery  path  of  honor  and  fortune, 
which  were  his  birthright,  he  went  forth  as  a  common 
soldier,  determined  to  drift  upon  the  tide  which 
chance  might  bring  in  his  way.  He  had  engaged  in 
the  enterprise  of  Pizarro  with  these  views ;  and,  having 
no  settled  plan  or  purpose,  he  now  yielded,  with  a 
sort  of  gratified  wonder,  to  the  career  which  seemed 
to  open  before  him. 

After  marching  forward  for  some  time,  now  creeping 
slowly  and  carefully  up  the  mountain ,  often  treading 
along  the  dizzy  edge  of  lofty  precipices,  and  now 
as  cautiously  descending  to  the  dark  and  dingy  ra 
vines  below,  the  procession  at  last  halted  before 
a  structure  which  seemed  a  rude  fortress,  partly 


THE  CHILDREN    OF  THE  SUN.  143 

hewn  from  the  native  rock.  After  a  short  pause, 
the  train  proceeded,  and  was  soon  hidden  in  the 
shadows  of  the  archway,  which  formed  the  entrance 
to  the  building.  The  bearers  of  our  wounded  hero 
followed,  and,  threading  a  devious  passage,  reached 
a  solitary  room,  where  they  set  him  down  and  dis 
appeared. 

It  was  more  than  an  hour  that  Chicama  was  left 
in  solitude  to  observe  the  objects  around,  and  to 
ponder  upon  the  strange  incidents  which  had  befal 
len  him.  The  sun  was  now  rising,  and  the  light, 
streaming  into  his  apartment,  enabled  him  to  note 
the  scene  with  precision.  He  was  too  weak  to  rise 
from  his  litter,  but  he  could  observe  through  a  win 
dow,  which  consisted  of  an  open  space,  without  glass 
or  other  covering,  that  the  building  was  low  and 
formed  of  huge  blocks  of  stone,  heaped  upon  a  na 
tural  parapet  of  rocks,  which  faced  a  declivity  of  the 
mountain.  It  seemed  to  be  formed  into  a  series 
of  rooms,  of  different  sizes,  yet  none  rising  above 
a  single  story.  The  roof  was  of  stone,  laid  upon 
rafters  of  wood.  In  the  room  where  he  lay,  there 
were  a  few  articles  of  furniture,  the  uses  of  which 
he  could,  for  the  most  part,  hardly  guess.  A  huge 

18. 


144  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

basin  made  of  gold,  a  hammer  and  axe  of  copper, 
and  a  kind  of  tankard  of  silver,  were  the  only 
utensils  which  seemed  to  bear  a  semblance  to  those 
to  which  he  was  accustomed.  As  to  chairs  or  ta 
bles,  he  could  discover  nothing  of  the  kind. 

Having  observed  and  ruminated  for  a  con 
siderable  time  in  silence,  Chicama  heard  a  light 
footstep,  and,  looking  around,  saw  the  form  of 
the  leader  of  the  moonlight  procession  before 
him.  She  was  attired  as  when  he  first  saw  her, 
and  held  in  her  hand  the  same  flowering  shrub. 
Her  countenance  was  still  beautiful  and  lofty,  yet 
shaded  with  a  touch  of  sadness.  She  did  not  speak , 
and  laid  her  finger  on  her  lip,  to  enforce  silence  upon 
Chicama.  Two  aged  females  had  followed  her.  Di 
recting  the  attention  of  these  to  the  wounded  soldier, 
she  gazed  at  him  for  a  few  moments,  with  a  mingled 
air  of  pity  and  reproach,  and  then  departed. 

Chicama  would  glady  have  recalled  her,  but  he 
had  no  words  at  command,  which  the  stranger  could 
comprehend.  Having  partly  risen  from  his  couch, 
he  now  sank  back  exhausted,  and  gave  himself  up 
to  events,  as  they  might  happen.  The  two  females, 
who  seemed  to  be  assigned  as  his  nurses,  set  im- 


THE  CHILDREN  OF  THE  SUN.  145 

mediately  about  their  duties.  They  brought  the 
youth  some  fresh  water  in  a  goblet,  which,  though 
of  uncouth  form,  was  of  gold,  and  elaborately 
wrought.  They  then  examined  his  wound,  washed 
away  the  clotted  gore,  and  applied  a  kind  of  vege 
table  poultice,  laid  upon  a  large  leaf.  They  pre 
pared  for  him  a  bed,  made  of  the  fibres  of  palm 
leaves,  laid  him  carefully  upon  it,  and,  intimating 
that  he  must  seek  repose,  one  of  them  retired, 
while  the  other  sat  down  in  the  court  before  the 
door. 

The  young  soldier  was  too  weak  for  deep  reflection ; 
the  thought  that  a  strange  people  whom  he  had 
come  to  rob  and  murder  should  treat  him  with  such 
care  and  tenderness,  having  glanced  across  his  mind, 
he  resigned  himself  to  sleep.  But  his  repose  was 
disturbed  by  painful  dreams,  and,  before  the  day 
closed ,  his  mind  wandered  in  the  delirium  of  fever. 
For  a  week  he  remained  in  a  critical  state;  but, 
owing  to  the  skill  and  devotion  of  his  grizzly  nurses, 
the  disease  took  a  favorable  turn,  at  the  end  of 
that  period,  and  he  was  soon  able  to  rise  from  his 
bed. 

His  recovery  was  now  rapid,  and  in  a  few  days 


146  FAGGOTS    FOR    THE     FIRESIDE. 

he  was  able  to  walk  about  the  court  of  the  building 
in  which  he  had  been  housed,  and  to  make  various 
observations  upon  it.  It  appeared,  as  we  have  be 
fore  remarked,  to  be  an  extensive  edifice,  consisting 
of  a  long  suite  of  rooms,  all  of  one  story,  formed  of 
rough  stone,  nicely  fitted  to  each  other  without 
mortar  or  cement.  It  had  a  rude  and  irregular 
aspect,  and  seemed  now  nearly  deserted. 

In  a  few  days,  Ghicama  was  strong  enough  to 
extend  his  walks ;  and,  seeing  that  he  was  left  to 
himself,  he  issued  from  one  of  the  gateways  of  the 
castle,  and,  following  a  path  made  with  great  care 
and  labor,  soon  reached  an  eminence  from  which 
he  could  take  a  wide  survey  of  the  adjacent  country. 
He  found  himself  on  the  top  of  a  considerable 
mountain,  which  seemed  but  one  of  the  mighty  steps 
which  ascended  to  the  higher  peaks  beyond.  Here 
and  there ,  on  the  slopes  and  in  the  valleys  which 
lay  before  him,  he  could  distinguish  groups  of  edi 
fices,  seeming  sometimes  to  form  villages,  and  at 
others  appearing  like  large  towns.  The  whole  scene 
indicated  a  teeming  population,  and  the  desire  arose 
in  his  mind  to  visit  some  of  these  places.  While  he 
was  balancing  in  his  mind,  whether  to  put  this  wish 


THE     CHILDREN     OF    THE     SUN.  147 

into  execution,  he  chanced  to  see  the  face  of  one  of 
his  old  nurses ,  peering  through  a  group  of  bushes. 
He  instantly  perceived  that  he  was  watched,  and, 
not  choosing  to  incur  the  displeasure  of  those  who 
had  treated  him  so  kindly,  he  turned,  and  slowly 
made  his  way  back  to  his  room. 

On  the  morning  which  followed  this  incident, 
Chicama  rose,  as  usual,  and  was  about  to  sally 
forth  to  breathe  the  fresh  air,  when,  to  his  sur 
prise,  he  found  the  door  of  his  apartment  closed 
and  bolted.  He  then  turned  his  attention  to  the 
window,  and  found  that  also  closed.  He  was  about 
to  force  these  barriers  which  confined  him,  when  he 
hesitated,  and  began  to  consider  his  position. 
While  he  was  busy  with  his  reflections,  he  thought 
he  heard  a  distant  sound,  quite  unusual  in  this  sol 
itary  spot.  He  listened,  and  could  perceive  ahum, 
like  the  moving  of  a  vast  multitude.  His  curiosity 
was  quickened  ;  and ,  bending  his  ear  more  keenly 
to  the  effort,  he  could  discern  something  like  the 
measured  tread  of  an  army,  and  the  deep  cadence 
of  martial  music. 

Roused  and  agitated  by  these  sounds,  the  young 
Spaniard  applied  himself  to  the  framework  which 


148  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

fastened  up  the  doorway,  but  found  his  strength  in 
sufficient  to  force  it  open.  He  then  climbed  to  the 
window,  but  was  unable  to  make  a  passage  there. 
While  he  stood  on  a  projecting  rock  in  the  wall  of 
his  room,  hesitating  what  course  to  pursue,  his  eye 
caught  an  opening  in  the  roof ;  and,  with  a  slight 
effort,  he  made  his  way  through  it,  and  thus  unex 
pectedly  found  himself  on  the  top  of  the  building. 
Casting  his  glance  in  the  direction  in  which  he  had 
heard  the  sounds  before  described,  he  saw  a  vast 
procession  moving  slowly  forward  upon  the  road  or 
causeway,  to  which  we  have  before  alluded.  Al 
ready  were  the  foremost  of  the  party  near  the  castle, 
and  Ghicama,  himself  unnoticed,  could  distinctly  see 
the  faces ,  dress  and  equipage  of  many  individuals 
of  the  train. 

The  leaders  seemed  to  consist  of  soldiers,  lightly 
armed  with  bows  and  arrows,  spears,  slings,  and 
small  battle-axes.  Of  these  there  were  about  a 
hundred.  Then  came  a  numerous  retinue  of  men, 
gaily  decorated  with  gaudy  feathers,  and  glittering 
with  gems  and  ornaments  of  gold.  Each  wore  a 
cap,  or  coronet,  set  round  with  feathers,  and  bound 
by  a  fillet  covered  with  emeralds,  rubies,  and  dia- 


THE     CHILDREN  OF  THE  SUN.  149 

monds.  Behind  this  gorgeous  throng,  an  individual 
of  lofty  mien,  and  still  more  richly  attired,  was  borne 
on  a  litter  by  eight  men,  all  in  the  bloom  of  youth, 
and  attired  with  the  utmost  simplicity.  Such  was 
their  strength,  that  the  weight  of  their  burden 
seemed  like  a  feather,  and  they  strode  forward  as 
freely  as  if  wholly  unencumbered. 

Behind  the  individual  who  seemed  the  chief  per 
sonage  in  the  procession  was  a  small  group  .of  fe 
males;  they  were  on  foot,  yet  richly  dressed,  and 
bearing  an  aspect  of  unusual  dignity.  Immediately 
following  these  was  a  train  of  women  dressed  in 
white ;  and  Chicama  had  no  difficulty  in  perceiving 
that  the  leader  was  no  other  than  the  remarkable 
personage  whom  he  had  met  at  the  head  of  the 
moonlight  procession,  and  in  whose  presence  he 
had  received  the  arrow-shot  wound  in  his  breast. 
Beyond  this  train  of  white-robed  women,  a  mingled 
throng  of  soldiers  and  attendants  came  rolling  on , 
without  confusion,  yet  without  seeming  order  or 
discipline. 

The  whole  number  of  persons  thus  displayed  to 
the  view  of  our  adventurer  amounted  to  some  thou 
sands  ;  yet  there  was  not  a  horse,  or  other  quadru- 


150  FAGGOTS  FOR  THE  FIRESIDE. 

ped,  among  them ;  nor  was  there  a  travelling  vehicle 
of  any  kind,  except  the  highly  ornamented  litter  on 
which  the  chief  was  borne  along.  The  whole  moved 
slowly  forward  to  the  low  music  of  horns  and  drums, 
and,  passing  under  the  archway  of  the  building  be 
fore  mentioned,  gradually  entered  within  the  court. 
When  the  chief  came,  a  space  was  opened  in  the 
crowd,  and  he  was  conducted  to  one  of  the  larger 
apartments  of  the  edifice.  The  women  were  mar 
shalled  to  another;  and  by  degrees  the  whole  assembly 
seemed  distributed  to  their  several  quarters,  the  com 
mon  soldiers  and  people  remaining  in  the  open  court. 
Chicama  noted  all  these  evolutions  with  intense 
interest;  at  the  same  time,  he  became  curious  to 
know  how  these  various  events  might  bear  upon  his 
own  prospects.  Considering  the  kind  treatment  he 
had  received,  he  was  inclined  to  believe  that  nothing 
injurious  to  his  safety  could  be  intended,  and  he  was 
strengthened  in  this  belief,  by  knowing  that  the 
white-robed  priestess,  who  had  saved  him  before, 
was  among  the  crowd.  Yet  he  was  so  ignorant  of 
the  manners  and  customs  of  these  people,  as  to  be 
able  only  to  form  conjectures  as  to  the  result  of  the 
strange  spectacle  he  had  just  witnessed. 


THE  CHILDREN  OF  THE  SUN.  151 

When  the  bustle  of  the  scene  was  over,  Chicama 
descended  into  his  room,  and,  reclining  upon  his 
bed,  waited  impatiently  for  the  progress  of  events. 
Nor  was  he  obliged  to  wait  long.  In  the  course  of 
half  an  hour,  he  heard  a  noise  at  the  doorway  of  his 
apartment.  The  framework  was  removed,  and 
an  Indian  of  remarkable  appearance ,  stood  before 
him. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

The  young  Spaniard  was  not  a  little  astonished  at 
the  aspect  and  bearing  of  the  personage  who  had  just 
entered  his  apartment.  He  was  tall,  and  dressed 
with  a  large,  square  cloak,  or  mantle,  of  cotton 
cloth,  thrown  over  his  shoulders;  a  kind  of  tunic, 
of  similar  fabric,  was  fastened  to  his  body  by  a  sash. 
His  head  was  uncovered;  and,  instead  of  exhibiting 
the  straight,  jet-black  locks  supposed  to  be  universal 
with  the  Indians,  it  presented  a  mass  of  hair,  scarce 
ly  less  white  than  the  driven  snow.  His  eyes  were 
also  light  colored,  and  his  skin  was  of  a  paler  hue 
than  was  common  to  the  natives  of  the  country. 


152  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

Chicama  gazed  upon  this  individual,  as  he  came 
into  the  room,  and  stood  a  moment  before  him,  in 
doubt  whether  he  were  not  a  European.  But  he 
soon  discovered  that  he  had  the  form  and  bearing  of 
the  Peruvian,  and  was  apparently  one  of  those  persons 
upon  whom  Nature  had  passed  off  a  practical  joke, 
in  the  present  case  rendering  him  an  object  of  stri 
king  peculiarity. 

The  Peruvian,  having  looked  upon  Chicama  for  a 
moment,  proceeded  into  the  middle  of  the  room,  and 
bent  upon  one  knee  before  the  youth.  He  then 
lifted  his  finger,  and  pointed  upward,  and  spoke,  but 
in  a  tongue  unknown  to  the  Spaniard.  Ghicama 
now  spoke,  also;  and,  to  his  amazement,  the  stran 
ger  replied  in  Spanish,  "I  listen;  I  understand. 
You  are  a  Spaniard  !  " 

"Who  are  you?  What  are  you?"  were  the 
ready  exclamations  of  Chicama. 

"  You  a  Spaniard,  and  not  know  me  !  You,  of 
the  white  race,  and  descended  from  the  skies ,  ob 
liged  to  inquire  of  me  my  name  and  lineage  !  Yet  I 
will  tell  you.  I  am  Orano,  the  Child  of  the  Moon. 
These  silver  locks  attest  my  parentage.  " 

"  And  what  is  your  office  here  ?  " 


THE    CHILDREN   OF    THE    SUN.  153 

"  I  am  the  minister  of  him  who  is  the  son  of 
Huascar  Capac,  the  sublime  Huascar,  inca  of  Peru. " 

"  But  I  had  thought  Atahualpa  was  inca.  " 

"And  so  he  claims  to  be;  but  the  sun,  and  the 
moon,  and  the  stars,  denounce  him.  Huascar  is  the 
true  inca  of  Peru,  by  the  decrees  of  Heaven;  and  this 
will  appear  in  due  time.  From  him  I  come  to  you. 
You  belong  to  the  company  of  the  chief  who  is  now 
desolating  our  country  with  fire  and  sword,  —  the 
terrible  Pirarro.  We  have  heard  your  story  from 
Runa,  the  Virgin  of  the  Sun,  the  high-born 
maiden,  known  by  the  title  of  the  *  Evening  Star. ' 
You  were  one  of  those  who  ravaged  the  city  of  Go- 
aque.  How  can  it  be,  that  beings  who  seem  endowed 
with  superhuman  power  should  be  thus  cruel? 
Are  you  descended  from  heaven,  and  do  you  come 
from  a  benignant  God  ?  Or  are  you  disgorged  by  the 
volcano,  and  sent  forth  upon  earth  by  a  vengeful 
deity,  to  punish  mankind  for  their  wickedness? 
What  is  the  mission,  what  the  purpose,  of  these 
wonderful  beings  called  Spaniards  ?  " 

Chicama  was  about  to  reply,  when  the  difficulty 
of  answering  the  question  struck  him  forcibly,  and 
he  said,  evasively,  "I  will  tell  you  in  due  time. 


154  FAGGOTS    FOR     THE    FIRESIDE. 

Take  me  to  the  inca,  and  I  will  answer  him.  For 
the  present,  I  need  but  say,  that  the  Spaniards  come 
on  an  errand  of  peace.  They  come  in  the  name  of 
a  mighty  king  and  the  God  of  heaven  and  earth. 
Submit,  and  ours  will  prove  an  errand  of  peace; 
resist,  and  ruin  will  overwhelm  you.  But,  tell  me, 
Child  of  the  Moon,  tell  me  whence  it  is  that  you 
speak  the  language  of  the  Spaniard.  " 

"  Can  the  offspring  of  a  heavenly  orb  need  but  to 
ask,  and  to  receive  ?  " 

66  Then  you,  a  Peruvian,  speak  Spanish  by  the  gift 
of  birth ! " 

"  I  said  not  that.  No;  I  had  instructions  from  a 
Spaniard  who  fled  from  Panama,  and  lived  two  years 
at  Quito.  But  I,  alone,  could  learn  his  speech.  To 
me  it  was  the  gift  of  Heaven.  And  yet  it  was  not 
bestowed  upon  Orano,  the  Child  of  the  Moon;  but 
upon  Orano,  the  minister  of  Huascar,  inca.  " 

"  It  gives  me  great  joy  to  have  met  one  so  gifted; 
and  now  tell  me,  Orano,  Child  of  the  Moon,  and 
minister  of  the  sublime  inca,  what  is  his  majesty's 
pleasure  with  me  ?  " 

"  Orano  speaks  not  for  the  inca,  but  as  the  inca 
commands. " 


THE    CHILDREN    OF   THE    SUN.  155 

"  Well  —  let  me  be  taken  to  him.  " 

"  Are  you  prepared  to  stand  in  the  presence  of 
one  who  represents  the  Spirit  of  Light  and  Heat,  and 
Life  on  earth,  —  the  offspring  of  the  sun  ! " 

"  I  am  a  Spaniard,  and  fear  nothing. " 

"  The  inca  will  let  his  pleasure  be  known.  "  Saying 
this,  the  Indian  was  about  to  depart,  when  Chicama 
spoke  once  more  :  "  Say,  Orano,  where  is  the 
maiden,  whom  you  call  .the  "  Evening  Star,  " —  the 
beautiful  priestess  of  the  sun  ?  " 

"  Runa  is  in  the  keeping  of  Heaven.  " 

66  Yes,  yes;  I  can  well  believe  it;  but  may  I  not 
see  her?  She  saved  my  life.  May  I  not  give  her 
thanks?" 

"  Runa  needs  no  thanks;  asks  no  thanks.  She 
is  a  woman  to  our  eyes ;  yet  she  is  a  ray  of  the  im 
mortal  sun.  Can  a  thing  so  exalted  value  human 
words — sounds,  that  come  and  go  like  the  breeze?" 

"Nay,  Offspring  of  the  Moon;  let  me  see  her,  if 
it  be  in  thy  power.  If  Runa  is  of  the  sun,  she  must 
be  willing  to  shed  her  beneficent  light  on  all ;  and 
especially  on  one  who  is  disposed  to  worship  her.  " 

"Spaniard,  you  speak  ignorantly  or  profanely. 
Worship  is  only  due  to  Pachacamac,  or  his  glorious 


156  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

image,  the  sun.  If  you  speak  of  Runa  as  an  object 
of  adoration,  you  are  an  idolater.  If  you  use,  in 
respect  to  her,  the  light  speech  of  gallantry,  you  de 
serve  nothing  but  scorn.  Adieu!  " 

With  these  words,  the  Child  of  the  Moon  departed, 
leaving  Ghicama  in  a  state  of  mingled  vexation, 
wonder,  and  anxiety. 


CHAPTER  V. 

After  the  departure  of  Orano,  Chicama  remained 
for  the  space  of  two  hours,  expecting  a  messenger  to 
summon  him  before  the  inca.  At  length,  he  heard 
a  confused  sound  without,  and,  immediately  after 
ward,  the  door  of  his  prison  was  opened.  A  number  of 
Indians  entered,  forming  a  single  file,  and  marching 
around  the  room  in  bending  and  winding  lines. 
They  wjere  gaudily  dressed,  their  heads  bearing  cor 
onets  decorated  with  feathers  and  glittering  gems. 
Over  their  shoulders  they  had  mantles  of  coarse  cot 
ton  cloth,  ornamented  with  stripes  of  red  and  yellow. 
Around  the  waist  was  a  sash  of  blue,  binding  the 
mantle  to  the  body. 


THE  CHILDREN  OF  THE  SUN.  157 

The  solemn  countenances  and  lofty  tread  of  these 
Indians,  with  their  mystic  circles  around  the  room, 
contrasted  strangely  with  their  tawdry  attire.  The 
effect  upon  our  young  hero  was  a  mingled  sentiment 
of  ridicule  and  amazement.  After  the  party  had  per 
formed  various  evolutions,  they  arranged  themselves 
in  a  circle  around  the  room.  One  of  them,  who 
seemed  to  be  the  leader,  then  stepped  forward,  and 
made  an  animated  address  to  the  young  Spaniard. 
Of  this  the  latter  understood  not  a  word;  but,  sup 
posing  that  he  was  to  be  taken  to  the  inca,  he  bowed 
his  head,  laid  his  hand  upon  his  heart,  and  turned 
his  faceto  ward  the  inca's  quarters,  —  thus  endeavor 
ing  to  intimate  his  readiness  to  go  thither.  He 
seemed  to  be  understood,  and,  after  a  variety  of  cer 
emonies,  he  was  encircled  by  the  guard,  and  taken 
on  his  way  to  the  inca. 

It  appeared  that  the  edifice  in  which  Ghicama  had 
been  confined  and  where  Huascar  was  now  lodged, 
was  only  a  stopping-place  upon  the  great  road  which 
led  from  Cuzco  to  Quito,  a  distance  of  one  thousand 
five  hundred  miles.  It  was,  however,  a  massy  struc 
ture,  composed  of  huge  blocks  of  stone,  nicely  fitted 
together  without  mortar.  It  Avas  of  great  extent, 


158  FAGGOTS    FOR    THE     FIRESIDE. 

enclosing  and  covering  at  least  three  acres  of  ground. 
It  consisted  of  a  series  of  apartments ,  sufficient  to 
give  shelter  to  several  thousand  persons.  The  gen 
eral  aspect  of  the  building  was  that  of  an  irregular 
fort,  upon  the  walls  of  which,  here  and  there,  were 
to  be  seen  structures,  either  designed  as  dwellings 
or  temples. 

These  observations  were  made  by  Chicama,  as  he 
was  conducted  across  the  court  by  the  guard.  These 
walked  slowly  and  solemnly  to  the  rude  music  of  gongs 
and  horns.  The  procession  at  length  reached  a  lofty 
portion  of  the  castle,  and,  a  door  being  opened,  the 
white-haired  Orano  appeared.  Making  several  mo 
tions  toward  the  sky,  with  a  black  wand  which  he 
held  in  his  hand,  he  directed  the  troop  to  follow  him, 
and  passed  into  the  building.  Proceeding  through  a 
long  avenue,  they  reached  a  hall  of  great  extent.  Paus 
ing  at  the  threshold ,  Orano  again  performed  some 
mystic  evolutions  with  his  wand.  The  guard  then 
formed  in  two  lines,  on  the  right  and  left,  and 
Chicama  was  placed  between.  In  this  manner  they 
entered  the  hall. 

This  was  crowded  with  a  large  number  of  Peru 
vians,  all  of  them  richly  decorated,  and  seeming  to  be 


THE    CHILDREN    OF    THE     SUN.  159 

the  nobles  of  the  land.  At  the  extremity  of  the  room 
sat  a  man  of  majestic  appearance, —  though  scarcely 
having  reached  the  period  of  middle  age.  At  his 
side  was  a  young  man  about  twenty  years  of  age, 
bearing  a  strong  resemblance  to  him,  and  appearing 
also  to  be  a  person  of  distinction.  The  scene  was  in 
the  highest  degree  imposing.  As  Ghicama  entered, 
every  countenance  was  turned  upon  him  with  keen 
and  scrutinizing  curiosity;  all  around,  there  appeared 
nothing  but  frowning  countenances,  and  black,  pene 
trating  eyes.  For  a  moment,  the  youth's  nerves  were 
shaken ;  he  hesitated  and  looked  round  with  a  bewil 
dered  and  faltering  air.  But  his  Spanish  blood  soon 
returned  to  his  heart,  and  the  daring  character  of  his 
disposition  enabled  him  to  rally.  With  an  assured 
step,  he  proceeded. 

The  guard  had  now  fallen  back,  and  Orano  con 
ducted  him  to  the  august  personage  at  the  extremity  of 
the  hall.  This  was  Huascar  Inca.  Orano  bowed  to 
the  earth,  and  spoke  a  few  words  in  a  low  tone.  He 
then  made  a  sign  for  Chicama  to  kneel,  which  he  did. 
They  both  arose,  and  stood  before  the  monarch. 
For  the  space  of  two  or  three  minutes ,  not  a  word 
was  spoken ;  a  death-like  silence  pervaded  the  whole 


160  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

assembly.  During  this  period ,  the  king  was  gazing 
at  the  young  Spaniard,  as  if  he  would  read  his  very 
soul.  He  ran  his  eye  up  and  down,  minutely 
examining  his  attire.  He  gazed  in  the  counlenance  of 
the  stranger  with  an  aspect  of  mingled  awe  and 
admiration.  At  last,  somewhat  abruptly,  he  spoke. 
The  words  were  not  understood  by  Ghicama,  but  were 
translated  by  Orano.  "  The  sublime  Huascar  Inca, 
child  of  the  sun,  speaks  to  thee !  "  said  Orano.  "  He 
asks,  *  Are  you  a  god? ' 

Under  less  solemn  circumstances ,  our  hero,  who 
felt  that  he  was  any  thing  rather  than  a  god ,  would 
have  smiled  ;  but  he  answered,  seriously,  "  I  am  not 
a  god,  but  a  Spaniard."  The  dialogue  then  proceeded, 
— Orano  translating  the  words  of  the  inca. 

"  What  is  a  Spaniard?" 

"  I  come  from  a  distant  country,  and  am  the  sub 
ject  of  a  mighty  king.  " 

"  Are  all  your  people  white,  like  yourself?  " 

"  Yes. " 

"  Our  historians  tell  us  that  the  founders  of  the 
incarial  dominion  were  also  white.  Have  you  ever 
heard  of  Manco  Gapac,  and  his  wife  Mamma  Oello?" 

"  Never. " 


THE    CHILDREN    OF    THE  SUN.  164 

"  I  must  tell  you  their  story.  Ages  ago ,  the  Pe 
ruvians  were  a  wild  and  savage  race.  They  dwelt 
in  rude  caves,  were  without  attire,  and  lived  by  hunt 
ing  and  war.  Suddenly,  there  appeared  among  these 
ignorant  people,  two  persons,  a  seeming  man  and 
woman.  They  were  of  majestic  mien,  and  their 
forms  were  robed  in  fine  garments.  They  were 
white,  like  you ;  they  bore  on  their  countenances  a 
look  of  intelligence  more  than  mortal,  yet  softened 
by  a  smile  of  benignity. 

"  This  mysterious  and  majestic  pair  first  appeared 
on  the  flowery  banks  of  Lake  Titicaca.  The  savages 
fled  from  their  presence  in  fear  and  wonder.  The 
strangers  beckoned  them  back.  One  by  one,  they 
crept  from  their  hiding-places,  and  crouched  at  the 
feet  of  those  whom  they  still  seemed  to  fear. 

"  Manco  Capac  now  spoke  to  them,  in  a  strange 
tongue,  yet  it  reached  their  hearts.  '  We  are  child 
ren  of  the  sun ! '  said  he ;  '  we  are  sent  by  the  Benef 
icent  Master  of  that  glorious  orb  to  visit  you.  Pacha- 
camac  has  seen  your  ignorance  and  poverty.  The 
Sublime  Essence  pitied  you.  He  had  given  you  the 
sun;  but  your  minds  were  dark,  and  you  could  not  see 
God's  image ;  you  could  not  raise  your  thoughts  above 


162  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

the  chase,  and  warfare  with  your  fellow-men.  You 
looked  up  to  the  sun ,  and  you  saw  in  it  nothing  but 
blood — blood — blood!  He  has  sent  us,  his  children, 
to  enlighten  your  souls ;  to  teach  you  that  he  delights 
not  in  blood,  but  in  peace  and  love.  We  have  come 
to  show  you  a  better  way;  to  show  you  the  art  of 
drawing  fruits  and  flowers  from  the  bosom  of  our 
mother  earth;  to  instruct  you  how  to  form  comfort 
able  dwellings ;  and  how  to  weave  fabrics,  that  may 
shelter  the  body  from  the  severity  of  the  seasons. 
We  have  come  to  teach  you  the  arts  of  healing,  the 
profound  science  of  the  heavenly  bodies,  the  wonders 
of  the  seasons  and  the  will  of  God.  Will  you  listen 
to  our  message?  Will  you  obey  our  commands?' 
"  The  people  obeyed  willingly;  for  the  heavenly 
messengers  spoke  with  authority.  The  dominion  of 
Manco  Capac  was  established.  Beneath  his  genial 
sway  the  people  rose  from  a  savage  to  a  civilized  con 
dition.  The  nation  increased  in  numbers;  new  tribes 
and  new  territories  came  under  its  sway ;  the  arts 
flourished ;  gold,  silver,  and  precious  stones,  marked 
the  riches  of  the  land ;  luscious  fruits  sprang  from  the 
soil;  cities  dotted  the  landscape,  splendid  edifices 


THE     CHILDREN    OF    THE    SUN.  163 

arose  on  every  hand,  and  the  worship  of  the  sun  was 
respected. 

"  Such  things  followed  from  the  revelations  of 
Manco  Capac.  He  was  the  first  inca,  and  I  am  his 
lineal  descendant.  As  such,  I  claim  the  dominion  of 
Peru.  It  is  Huascar  Inca  that  speaks.  Say,  Spaniard, 
have  you  heard  of  these  things  before?  " 

16  Never.  " 

The  inca  seemed  disappointed,  and  the  conversa 
tion  continued.  But  the  remainder  of  the  scene  must 
be  reserved  for  another  chapter. 


CHAPTER   VI. 

The  interview  between  the  inca  and  the  young 
Spaniard  continued.  "  I  am  disappointed,"  said  the 
former,  after  a  long  pause.  "  I  had  fondly  deemed 
that  these  strange  persons ,  who  have  landed  on  our 
shores,  and  who  seem  to  be  gifted  with  more  than 
mortal  power,  were  of  the  race  of  Manco  Gapac,  lineal 
descendants  of  the  sun,  my  own  kindred,  and  that  to 
them  I  might  look  for  aid  in  a  present  emergency. 


164  FAGGOTS   FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

"  I  must  tell  you,  Spaniard,  that  my  father,  the 
mighty  HuaynaCapac,  was  the  twelfth  monarch  who 
had  sat  ontheincarial  throne,  from  the  time  of  Manco 
Capac.  He  was  a  great  king,  and  a  mighty  con 
queror.  He  extended  his  sway  in  all  directions,  and 
added  the  powerful  kingdom  of  Quito  to  his  domin 
ions.  In  the  capital  of  this  province  he  often  resided, 
and  it  became  a  rival  to  Cuzco,  the  ancient  me 
tropolis. 

"  My  father,  seduced  by  some  evil  power  to  de 
part  from  the  golden  laws  of  the  empire,  fordidding 
the  inca  to  marry  out  of  the  royal  line,  wedded  the 
daughter  of  the  king  of  Quito.  By  her  he  had  a  son, 
to  whom  was  given  the  name  of  Atahualpa.  At  his 
death ,  my  father  bequeathed  to  me ,  his  only  lawful 
successor  and  his  eldest  born,  the  ancient  empire  of 
Peru ;  on  Atahualpa  he  bestowed  the  kingdom  of 
Quito. 

"  This  was  alike  a  wrong  to  the  laws  and  to  me, 
but  I  submitted  to  it,  for  I  loved  Atahualpa  with  all 
my  soul.  But  he  was  crafty  and  perfidious.  Not 
content  to  abide  by  my  father's  decree,  he  desired  to 
reign  over  the  whole  empire.  He  secretly  plotted 
against  me;  he  seduced,  by  means  of  his  emissaries, 


THE    CHILDREN    OF    THE    SUN.  165 

my  friends  and  soldiers,  even  in  my  capital  ofCuzco. 
When  all  his  schemes  were  prepared,  he  marched 
against  me,  and,  after  a  severe  struggle,  he  has  tri 
umphed  in  his  wicked  attempt  to  deprive  me  of  my 
rights.  I  am  now  a  mere  prisoner  of  state.  I  am 
permitted  to  wander  about  from  place  to  place ,  but 
my  attendants  are  unarmed ;  we  are  environed  by 
watchful  bands  of  troops,  and  while  Atahualpa  revels 
in  the  splendors  of  the  incarial  throne,  Huascar  Ca~ 
pac,  the  true  inca,  the  unspotted  reflection  of  the  sun, 
is  committed  to  the  care  of  priests ,  and  commended 
to  his  devotions! 

"  Nor  is  even  this  all.  The  evil-minded  Ata 
hualpa  has  caused  the  lineal  heirs  of  the  throne  to  be 
slain.  It  would  make  your  heart  quake  and  your 
flesh  creep  to  hear  the  story  of  his  massacres  of  the 
sacred  Children  of  the  Sun.  After  the  fatal  battle  of 
the  Apurimac,  when  I  was  defeated,  he  summoned 
all  the  incarial  line  to  Cuzco.  Those  that  came  were 
put  to  death;  neither  age  nor  sex  were  spared.  Some 
were  beheaded,  and  some  precipitated  from  rocks. 
Women  and  children  were  hung  by  their  hair  to  the 
branches  of  trees  and  left  there  to  die.  A  few  only 
of  our  lineage  have  escaped.  Manco  Gapac,  my 


166  FAGGOTS     FOR    THE     FIRESIDE. 

younger  brother,  is  still  alive  and  at  liberty.  My 
nephew,  Huayna  Gapac,  here  at  my  side,  and  Runa, 
my  niece,  a  priestess  of  the  sun  and  now  one  of  my 
attendants,  are  all  that  survive.  I  only  am  permitted 
to  live  by  the  perfidious  and  cruel  Atahualpa,  that  he 
may  strengthen  his  interest  with  the  people,  by  pre 
tending  to  reign  in  my  place  and  by  my  assent.  Such 
is  the  humiliating  condition  of  Huascar  Gapac.  I  am 
a  king,  yet  not  a  king;  I  am  a  child  of  the  sun ,  yet  a 
despised  prisoner;  I  am  an  inca,  yet  only  a  thing  to 
be  looked  upon  with  pity;  I  am  placed  on  a  throne, 
but  to  make  all  the  world  point  at  my  disgrace.  All 
eyes  are  gazing  at  me,  but  only  to  see  the  fallen  inca." 

Here  the  emotion  of  the  dethroned  monarch  was 
extreme.  His  throat  seemed  choked  for  a  time.  He 
rose  from  his  couch,  and  looked  around  with  a  fierce, 
yet  bewildered  air.  A  strong  sensation  ran  through 
the  assembly ,  though  the  words  that  had  fallen  from 
the  inca  were  only  heard  by  Orano ,  Ghicama ,  and  a 
few  confidential  friends,  around  the  king.  After  a 
short  space,  he  proceeded. 

"  I  have  told  thee,  Spaniard,  child  of  the  East,  a 
monarch's  sorrows.  Let  no  one  envy  a  king ;  for  his 
griefs  are  in  proportion  to  his  greatness.  I  have  only 


THE    CHILDREN    OF  THE    SUN.  167 

been  elevated  to  the  skies  by  my  birth — to  be  dashed 
farther  and  more  fatally  down  to  earth. 

"  Yet  I  mourn  not  for  myself,  alone.  The  domin 
ion  of  the  incas  was  founded  in  peace.  Our  mon- 
archs  were,  like  their  father,  the  sun,  the  dispensers 
of  benefits  alone.  As  the  great  source  of  light,  and 
heat,  and  life,  leaves  the  work  of  desolation  and 
disease  and  death,  to  the  cloud  and  the  tempest,  to 
the  whirlwind,  the  wa<erspout,  and  the  seasons,  so 
Manco  Capac  and  his  successors  left  wars ,  and 
bloodshed,  and  torture,  and  imprisonment,  to  savage 
kings  and  chiefs. 

"  I  mourn,  Spaniard,  that  this  golden  age  of  Peru 
is  fled;  that  this  high  boast  of  our  dynasty  is  no 
longer  fit  for  an  inca's  tongue.  I  mourn  that  the 
serpent  ambition  crept  into  my  father's  bosom.  The 
sun  is  said  to  shine  in  the  heavens ;  but  to  me  it  is 
henceforth  dimmed  with  spots.  The  light  shines  not 
on  the  hill  and  the  vale ,  as  in  the  days  of  my  youth. 
The  landscape  has  lost  its  loveliness.  The  human 
face  is  no  longer  human.  I  see  marks  of  blood  on 
every  countenance. 

"  One  hope  had  indeed  risen  in  my  bosom.  I 
heard  of  the  wondrous  band  led  hither  by  Pizarro. 

n 


168  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

I  heard  that  their  weapons  wielded  the  thunder  and 
the  lightning.  I  heard  that  soldiers,  mounted  on 
fleet  and  fiery  beasts,  united  the  cunning  and  skill  of 
men,  to  the  agility  and  strength  of  brutes.  I  heard 
that  they  had  swords  glittering  as  silver,  and  sharp 
as  the  points  of  diamonds.  I  heard  that  they  were 
invincible.  I  heard  that  every  thing  fell  helpless 
before  that  wondrous  people. 

"  And  I  asked  myself,  '  Whence  such  a  miracle? 
Why  such  a  mighty  apparition  at  this  moment?  '  I 
connected  the  event  with  my  own  fortunes  and  those 
of  my  kingdom.  I  fancied  that  this  prodigy  was  sent 
to  aid  me  to  hurl  Atahualpa  from  his  usurped  eleva 
tion  ;  to  restore  the  lawful  sovereign  to  his  throne ;  to 
bring  back  the  empire  of  Peru  to  its  ancient  domin 
ion  of  peace  and  prosperity. 

"  Yet  in  these  golden  hopes,  it  seems,  I  am  likely 
to  be  disappointed.  You  say,  Spaniard,  that  you 
have  never  heard  of  Manco  Gapac ;  that  you  come 
from  across  the  sea;  that  you  are  servants  of  a 
mighty  king,  who  reigns  in  the  land  of  the  rising  sun. 
Yet  you  know  nothing  of  the  incas.  Alas  for  bleed 
ing  Peru!  alas  for  despised,  dethroned,  imprisoned, 
degraded  Huascar  Inca! 


THE    CHILDREN    OF    THE    SUN.  169 

"  Still,  I  will  send  messengers  to  the  fearful  Pi- 
zarro.  I  will  state  to  him  my  wrongs.  I  will  lay 
before  him  the  griefs  of  my  people.  I  will  make 
him  see  the  wickedness  of  my  rival,  in  dismembering 
an  ancient  empire,  in  introducing  bloodshed  into  a 
peaceful  country,  iu  substituting  the  reign  of  violence 
for  the  reign  of  justice,  mercy,  and  truth.  I  will 
appeal  to  him  in  behalf  of  humanity  and  eternal  right. 
Pizarro,  it  is  said,  is  powerful  above  mortals.  Su 
perhuman  power  is  only  bestowed  by  Heaven  upon 
the  good,  the  benignant,  the  merciful,  the  just.  " 

The  inca  paused.  He  then  turned  to  Orano, 
spoke  a  few  words  in  his  own  tongue,  and  Chicama 
was  conducted  out  of  the  hall.  He  was  then  taken 
to  the  apartments  he  had  before  occupied,  the  door 
was  closed,  and  he  was  once  more  left  to  himself. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

Our  hero  remained  undisturbed  for  several  hours 
in  his  room,  or  rather  his  prison;  for  he  now  per 
ceived  that,  during  his  absence,  the  breaches  in  the 


170  FAGGOTS    FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

wall  had  been  repaired,  arid  the  spaces  in  the  roof,  by 
which  he  had  once  passed  out,  were  closed  up.  The 
room  was  now  dark;  and,  at  length,  the  prisoner 
began  to  feel  a  sense  of  loneliness  and  gloom, 
quite  unusual  to  him. 

After  a  few  hours,  however,  his  solitude  was 
broken,  and  Orano  entered  the  apartment,  not  forget 
ting  the  ceremonious  marks  of  respect  with  which  he 
had  always  treated  the  Spaniard.  After  a  few  words 
of  introduction,  he  told  Ghicama  that  Huascar  had 
sent  deputies  to  Pizarro,  offering  him  an  immense 
sum  of  gold  and  silver ,  if  he  would  undertake  to 
depose  his  brother  and  rival,  and  place  him,  Huas 
car,  on  the  throne.  Orano  was  sanguine  that  the 
mission  would  prove  successful,  but  he  still  wished  to 
know  the  opinion  of  Ghicama;  and  for  this  object  he 
now  paid  him  a  visit. 

Ghicama ,  who  knew  the  greedy  nature  of  the 
Spanish  leader,  entertained  no  favorable  opinion  as  to 
the  issue  of  Huascar's  embassy.  He  intimated  to 
Orano  that  his  master  was  a  prisoner,  and  could  do 
little,  compared  with  Atahualpa,  who  was,  in  fact, 
emperor,  and  held  the  wealth  and  power  of  the  coun 
try  in  his  hands.  If,  then,  Pizarro  was  to  be  moved 


THE    CHILDREN    OF    THE    SUN.  171 

by  offers  of  gold  and  silver,  Atahualpa  would  ne 
cessarily  have  the  advantage. 

"  But,  "  said  Orano,  "  your  chief  cannot  be  deaf 
to  the  appeals  of  justice.  Atahualpa  is  a  usurper. 
He  is  so  conscious  of  this,  that  he  uses  the  name  of 
Huascar  to  sustain  his  authority  with  the  nation.  It 
is  for  this  reason  alone  that  Huascar  is  surrounded 
with  a  gorgeous  retinue,  and  treated  with  the  pomp 
of  a  real  king.  Were  it  not  for  this  motive,  the  dark- 
minded  Atahualpa  would  not  hesitate  to  dip  his  hand 
in  his  brother's  blood,  and  sweep  him  forever  from 
his  path.  " 

"  This  may  be, "  said  Chicama;  "  but  how  is  the 
Spanish  general  to  know  all  this  ?  He  comes  hither, 
and  finds  Atahualpa  on  the  throne.  To  him  he 
seems  to  be  the  emperor;  he  is  emperor  in  fact. 
Can  you  expect  that  one  who  is  a  prisoner  will  be 
heard,  when  a  monarch,  wielding  the  power  of  the 
nation,  —  one  occupying  the  throne,  wearing  the 
crown,  and  surrounded  with  emblems  of  royalty, — 
speaks?  " 

Orano  was  struck  with  the  force  of  these  words. 
He  paused,  and  remained  for  a  time  buried  in 
gloomy  thought.  He  cast  a  careful  and  anxious 


172  FAGGOTS    FOR    THE    FIRESIDE. 

glance  around  the  room,  and  shortly  took  his  leave. 
Two  days  now  passed  and  Ghicama  saw  no  one,  his 
food  being  thrust  in  at  an  opening  beneath  the  door. 
He  heard  occasional  noises,  as  of  people  passing, 
and  fancied  that  he  heard  the  tramp  of  horses  and  the 
neighing  of  a  steed  at  a  little  distance. 

He  grew  at  first  weary ,  and  then  impatient.  The 
third  day  came.  He  could  tell  the  light  of  morning 
by  the  rays  that  streamed  faintly  through  some  open 
ings  in  the  massive  walls.  He  heard  a  bustle  with 
out,  in  the  court-yard.  He  heard  low,  measured 
sounds,  as  if  a  solemn  procession  were  passing. 
All  became  silent  as  death.  Hours  passed  away. 
Night  set  in.  The  bats  that  nestled  in  the  crannies 
of  the  walls,  or  hung  in  clusters  from  the  roof,  took 
their  departure.  Ghicama  sat  wakeful  and  watchful 
on  the  floor  of  his  dungeon.  He  heard  nothing  save 
the  beatings  of  his  own  heart.  A  fearful  gloom  had 
gathered  over  his  mind.  He  imagined  that  all  had 
gone  away  from  the  castle,  and  left  him,  forgotten, 
in  his  prison. 

This  idea  had  hardly  flashed  upon  his  mind  when 
he  heard  a  scream.  It  seemed  to  fill  the  air,  and 
thrill  even  the  stones  of  the  prison  walls.  It  passed, 


THE    CHILDREN    OF    THE    SUN.  173 

and  no  other  sound  was  heard.  The  mind  of  Chi- 
cama,  accustomed  to  scenes  of  adventure ,  was  not 
easily  shaken ;  but  the  circumstances  in  which  he 
was  now  placed  affected  him  with  an  unwonted 
emotion,  amounting  to  horror.  He  passed  the  re 
mainder  of  the  night  in  restless  anxiety.  In  the 
morning,  he  waited  till  the  hour  at  which  he  Avas 
accustomed  to  receive  his  meals.  No  one  came. 

66  And  am  I,  then,  to  starve  in  this  prison-house?" 
said  the  young  man,  springing  to  his  feet.  "  Is  this 
dungeon  to  be  my  grave  ?  Am  I  to  draw  out  my  last 
breath  in  solitude,  and  sleep  here  in  everlasting  si 
lence?  "  These  thoughts  nerved  him  with  a  kind  of 
frenzy,  and  he  cast  about  for  the  means  of  breaking 
from  his  prison.  He  looked  up  and  down  the  walls, 
and  one  by  one  surveyed  their  huge  masses.  They 
seemed  to  offer  no  hope  of  escape.  He  applied  his 
shoulder  to  the  door,  but  it  did  not  yield.  He  now 
began  a  more  careful  examination,  and  minutely  in 
spected  every  place  which  presented  a  chance  of 
deliverance. 

The  day  passed  in  unavailing  schemes  and  fruitless 
efforts.  Night  once  more  set  in,  and  once  more  the 
youth's  imagination  became  filled  with  restless  and 


174  FAGGOTS    FOR    THE     FIRESIDE. 

fearful  thoughts.  While  deeply  buried  in  his  gloomy 
fancies,  he  heard  a  slight  noise  without,  and  near 
the  door  of  his  room.  It  was  followed  by  a  heavy 
sound,  as  if  a  stone  had  been  rolled  away.  He 
applied  himself  to  the  door;  it  yielded,  and  he  step 
ped  forth  into  the  open  air.  It  was  intensely  dark, 
but  he  could  see  a  slight,  ghost-like  form  gliding 
away.  He  paused,  and  a  strange  fear  came 
over  him.  A  coldness  crept  through  his  limbs, 
and  he  shivered,  as  if  pierced  with  the  chill  night 
air. 

This  emotion  was  but  momentary.  The  blood 
driven  to  the  -youth's  heart  instantly  rushed  back  to 
his  limbs,  and  tingled  in  his  fingers.  He  set  forward, 
and  pursued  the  retreating  form,  to  which  he  felt 
himself  indebted  for  his  deliverance.  A  new  and 
animating  thought  took  possession  of  his  mind.  It 
was  Runa,  as  he  fancied,  who  had  thus  remembered 
him,  and  saved  him  from  a  terrible  doom.  His  feet 
now  bounded  over  the  earth ;  the  castle  was  soon  left 
behind;  trees,  stones,  ledges,  offered  little  obstruction 
to  his  progress.  He  followed  the  retreating  image, 
which  seemed  rather  a  wreath  of  mist  than  a  substan 
tial  form — wending  noiselessly  and  rapidly  through 


THE    CHILDREN    OF    THE    SUN.  1 75 

copse  and  glen,  and  defying  bis  utmost  attempts  to 
approach  it. 

At  length  they  came  near  a  ridge,  which  seemed  to 
stand  like  a  mountain  barrier,  directly  across  their 
path.  Ghicama  deemed  it  impossible  to  ascend  this, 
and  now  felt  confident  that  be  should  come  up  with 
the  fugitive.  But  the  latter,  on  reaching  the  base  of 
the  mountain,  seemed  to  find  a  narrow  footway,  and 
lightly  ascended  the  very  face  of  the  rock.  Ghicama 
was  staggered;  for  it  seemed  to  him  nothing  less  than 
a  miracle.  He  paused — drew  his  hand  across  his 
eyes,  as  if  to  assure  himself  that  it  was  not  all  a 
dream.  But  the  wreathy  image  still  ascended;  and, 
fearing  that  he  should  lose  all  trace  of  it,  he  pressed 
forward,  and  was  soon  rejoiced  to  find  a  channel  or 
furrow  in  the  cliff  sufficient  for  a  footing.  He  began 
his  ascent;  and  such  was  the  excited  state  of  his  mind, 
that,  in  the  midnight  darkness,  he  was  able  to  discov 
er  the  windings  of  the  narrow  and  dizzy  pathway.  He 
kept  on  ward,  and  soon  attained  a  fearful  elevation. 
Yet  the  rocks  continued  to  rise  before  him,  seeming 
to  tower  up  to  the  very  clouds,  and  offering  no  visible 
point  of  termination.  The  object  of  his  pursuit 

22 


176  FAGGOTS     FOR  THE     FIRESIDE. 

pressed  forward,  though  the  distance  between  them 
seemed  gradually  to  diminish. 

Animated  by  this  idea,  Ghicama  redoubled  his 
efforts,  and,  seeming  reckless  of  danger,  travelled  up 
the  face  of  the  rocks  with  the  celerity  of  a  mountain 
goat.  At  last,  the  form  of  the  mysterious  fugitive 
was  near,  and  he  seemed  distinctly  to  trace  the  out 
line  of  a  human  figure.  He  made  one  effort  more  : 
he  reached  forth  his  hand ;  but  a  dizziness  seized  him 
— he  wavered,  reeled,  and  fell! 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

Soon  after  the  interview  between  our  hero  and 
the  unfortunate  Huascar,  the  latter  secretly  sent  mes 
sengers  to  Pizarro ,  who  was  now  in  his  vicinity, 
craving  his  aid,  and  offering  immense  sums  of  gold 
and  silver,  if  he  would  assist  him  in  recovering  his 
throne,  and  punishing  the  usurper,  Atahualpa.  The 
Spanish  leader  sent  an  embassy  to  the  captive  king, 
and  made  fair  promises. 

All  these  proceedings  soon  reached  the  ears  of 


THE    CHILDREN    OF    THE     SUN.  177 

Atahualpa,  who  immediately  despatched  orders  for 
the  execution  of  his  brother,  Huascar.  The  perform 
ance  of  this  deed  was  not  difficult,  for  the  unhappy 
king  was  completely  within  the  toils  of  his  conqueror. 
It  chanced  however  that  the  event  was  accidentally 
deferred,  though  it  came  at  no  distant  day.  At 
tended  by  the  retinue  we  have  described ,  Huascar 
was  marching  forth  from  the  castle,  when  an  unseen 
arrow  sped  from  the  bow  of  one  of  the  agents  of 
Atahualpa,  glanced  past  his  breast  and  entered  that 
of  the  youthful  Huayna  Capac,  at  his  side.  The 
latter  uttered  a  single  scream  and  fell  lifeless  to  the 
earth.  Huascar  was  borne  away  by  his  attendants, 
and  in  a  fea  weeks,  he  fell  a  victim  to  Ata- 
hualpa's  policy,  though  it  was  not  till  the  latter  was 
in  the  toils  of  Pizarro ,  and  drawing  near  to  the 
end  of  his  career  of  usurpation  and  bloodshed. 

The  greater  part  of  the  throng  which  had  as 
sembled  at  the  castle  had  now  dispersed,  some  by 
the  requisitions  of  official  duty,  and  others  through 
a  feeling  of  awe  at  the  sudden  and  mysterious 
death  of  the  youthful  prince. 

A  few,  with  pious  devotion,  remained.  Among 
these  was  the  white-haired  chief,  Orano,  and  Runa, 


178  FAGGOTS    FOR    THE     FIRESIDE. 

the  beautiful  virgin  of  the  sun.  They  carefully  wiped 
the  blood  from  the  wound,  and  caused  the  lifeless 
body  of  the  youth  to  be  embalmed.  It  was  then 
placed  on  a  litter  made  of  spicy  trees,  and  was  borne 
on  tbe  shoulders  of  two  nobles,  toward  its  resting- 
place. 

During  these  mournful  proceedings ,  the  prisoner 
Ghicama,  had  been  forgotten  by  all  save  one.  But 
for  her,  he  had  perished  in  the  gloom  and  solitude 
of  his  dungeon.  No  heart  was  more  keenly  pierced 
by  the  death  of  Huayna,  than  her  own,  for  she 
was  of  the  incarial  line  and  his  near  relative.  Yet 
her  soul  was  not  so  wholly  absorbed,  as  to  make 
her  forget  that  the  youthful  Spaniard,  whose  life 
she  had  once  saved,  was  in  prison,  and,  but  for 
some  kindly  assistance,  must  perish.  When  the 
obsequies  were  prepared,  and  the  procession  had 
set  forward  under  cover  of  the  darkness ,  she 
proceeded  to  the  castle  and  pushed  away  the  stone 
that  barred  the  door  of  the  apartment  where  Ghi 
cama  was  confined.  The  rest  will  be  easily  guessed 
by  the  reader. 

Our  hero's  illness  was  but  momentary.  But 
when  his  consciousness  returned,  the  image  which 


THE    CHILDREN    OF    THE    SUN. 

had  guided  his  footsteps  was  gone.  He  followed 
the  narrow  pathway,  however,  as  well  as  he  could, 
and  at  last  discovered  about  fifty  persons,  proceed 
ing  with  a  measured  tread,  at  no  great  distance 
before  him,  up  the  mountain.  He  was  soon  able 
to  approach  them,  and  in  a  short  time  Orano  came 
to  meet  him.  The  seer  explained  the  scene,  and 
Chicama  then  proceeded  in  silence.  A  low  wail 
was  heard  to  issue,  at  intervals,  from  the  mourners; 
with  the  exception  of  this,  every  lip  was  dumb. 

For  several  hours  the  procession  moved  onward, 
gradually  ascending  higher  and  higher  up  the  moun 
tain.  At  length  they  reached  the  brow  of  a  cliff, 
which  overhung  a  deep  valley  below.  Here  was  a 
long  range  of  sepulchres,  partly  natural  and  partly 
artificial,  seeming  like  the  street  of  a  deserted  city. 
On  one  side,  the  mountain  rose  like  a  mighty  pyr 
amid,  its  top  being  covered  with  perpetual  snow. 
On  the  other,  the  vale  we  have  mentioned  yawned 
like  an  abyss,  covered  over  by  a  veil  of  impene 
trable  mist. 

By  the  side  of  one  of  the  larger  tombs  the  pro 
cession  paused.  The  litter  was  placed  on  the  earth 
and  the  face  of  the  deceased  prince  was  uncovered. 


180  FAGGOTS    FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

One  by  one  the  attendants  passed  around  the  body, 
gazed  upon  the  face,  uttered  a  mournful  sigh,  and 
seated  themselves  on  the  ground.  A  profound  si 
lence  was  now  observed  by  all.  At  last,  the  faint 
light  of  the  dawn  was  seen  kindling  upon  the  top  of 
the  mountain.  Orano  arose,  and  pointed  toward 
it.  At  this  signal,  every  face  was  bowed  to  the 
earth.  In  this  position  the  whole  company  remained, 
until  the  red  sunlight  was  visible  upon  the  snowy 
peak  above.  Orano  uttered  a  shout,  and  all  sprang 
to  their  feet.  They  then  broke  into  a  hymn,  each 
joining  in  the  chorus. 

The  sun  at  last  arose,  and  its  light  fell  upon  the 
corpse.  Orano  lifted  the  head,  and  the  rays  lighted 
the  uncovered  face.  Every  eye  was  averted,  save 
that  of  Orano,  as  if  a  scene  so  holy  could  not  be 
witnessed  except  by  the  priest,  whose  vocation 
made  him  familiar  with  sacred  things. 

A  long  pause  ensued,  when  the  face  of  the  corpse  was 
again  covered,  and  the  body,  after  many  ceremonies, 
was  deposited  in  its  final  resting-place.  This  was  a 
deep  excavation  in  the  rock,  which  was  of  such  dimen 
sions  as  to  bear  the  aspect  of  a  temple,  rather  than  a 
grave. Theroofwas  formed  ofprodigiousmassesof  rock, 


THE    CHILDREN    OF    THE    SUN.  181 

set  upon  pillars,  in  front,  and  a  closed  wall,  behind. 
The  general  appearance  of  the  place  was  sad  and 
gloomy ,  associated  with  an  idea  that  giants  alone 
could  have  reared  such  massy  architecture.  The 
open  part  of  the  tomb  looked  out  upon  the  east, 
and  the  first  rays  of  the  rising  sun  fell  upon  the 
resting-place  of  the  incarial  prince.  Such  was  the 
elevation  of  the  site  that  a  sea  of  moutains  and 
plains,  bounded  only  by  the  sky,  spread  out  on  every 
side,  save  that  which  was  occupied  by  the  moun 
tain  peak  already  described. 

Although  Chicama  had  not  been  trained  in  the 
school  of  poetry  or  romance,  yet  the  scene  we  have 
described,  stirred  his  heart  with  the  deepest  emo 
tions.  He  became  conscious  of  the  fact  that  these 
people,  whom  his  conntfymen  were  treating  as  heath 
ens,  were  not  insensible  to  the  beauty  and  sublimity  of 
nature,  and  that  religious  emotions,  scarcely  less  ele 
vated  than  those  which  his  own  faith  inculcated, 
were  working  in  their  bosoms.  Above  all,  he  felt 
that  human  affections  were  as  familiar  to  them  as 
to  the  boastful  Spaniard.  "  Let  the  priest  say 
what  he  may,  "  said  Chicama,  internally,  "  these 
people  are  men !  " 


182  FAGGOTS    FOR     THE    FIRESIDE. 

After  the  body  of  the  youth  was  lowered  into  the 
tomb  and  arranged  in  a  sitting  posture,  a  sceptre 
was  placed  in  his  hand,  his  jewels  on  his  fingers^ 
and  his  coronet  upon  his  head.  His  best  robe  was 
carefully  adjusted  to  his  shoulders.  His  face  was 
uncovered,  and  he  now  seemed  like  a  monarch  upon 
his  throne.  A  last  look  was  taken  by  his  followers, 
and  the  grave  was  closed  over  him  by  huge  masses 
of  stone. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

The  burial  of  the  prince  was  now  completed.  All 
that  remained  of  the  descendant  of  Manco  Gapac — 
of  one  deemed  by  others  a  favored  child  of  the 
sun  —  was  the  cold  unconscious  clay,  destined 
speedily  to  decay  and  mingle  with  the  dust.  The 
only  advantage  be  possessed  was,  that  his  corpse 
was  to  turn  to  earth  in  a  loftier  tomb  than  falls 
to  the  lot  of  common  men.  A  few  of  those  who 
were  wont  to  attend  upon  him,  to  swell  his  train, 


THE    CHILDREN    OF    THE    SUN.  183 

and  bow  in  his  presence,  still  lingered  around  the 
spot  where  his  remains  were  deposited ;  yet  even 
these  were  one  by  one  disappearing ,  and  after  a 
few  hours,  two  forms  only  were  seen  at  the  spot. 
Orano  sat  at  little  distance  from  the  grave,  his 
head  bowed ,  his  white  hair  falling  wildly  over  his 
shoulders;  his  face  was  of  an  ashy  hue,  being 
marked  with  a  deep,  yet  controlled  grief.  At  a 
little  distance  sat  another  form,  robed  in  the  finest 
furs  of  the  chinchilla;  but  the  face  was  covered. 
The  air  and  attitude  betokened  sorrow,  mingled, 
however,  with  self-command.  The  size  of  the  figure, 
measured  by  that  of  the  majestic  priest,  was  dimin 
utive,  and  Chicama,  who  continued  at  a  respectful 
distance,  fancied  it  to  be  that  of  a  woman.  Nor 
was  this  the  full  extent  of  his  conjectures.  He  had 
heard  from  Huascar  as  well  as  Orano,  that  Runa 
was  of  incarial  blood,  and  therefore  a  relation  of 
the  prince,  whose  funeral  rites  had  just  been  cele 
brated.  It  was  natural  to  suppose  that  she  would 
seek  to  be  at  this  ceremony,  and  Chicama  could  not 
but  conclude  that  the  light  form  before  him  was  no 
other  than  she  who  bore  tbe  title  of  the  Evening 
Star. 

23 


184  FAGGOTS    FOR    THE     FIRESIDE. 

From  what  has  passed,  it  may  well  be  inferred 
that  the  eyes  of  the  young  Spaniard  were  riveted 
upon  the  fur-clad  figure,  and  that  he  awaited  with 
anxiety  the  moment  when  her  mourning  devotions 
should  cease,  and  he  be  at  liberty  to  approach  her. 
But  the  whole  day  passed,  and  it  was  not  till  the 
new  moon  was  visible  over  the  mountains,  that 
either  Orano  or  his  companion  moved  from  their 
places.  When  the  faint  rays  of  the  crescent  orb 
were  visible,  the  priest  stood  up,  walked  a  few 
paces  toward  it,  and  bowed  three  times  to  the  earth. 
At  the  same  moment,  the  figure  by  his  side  also 
arose,  and  advancing  in  a  similar  manner  toward  a 
bright  star  gleaming  in  the  east,  bowed  thrice  be 
fore  it. 

This  action  brought  the  stranger  near  to  Ghi- 
cama.  The  depth  of  her  emotions  rendering  her 
apparently  unconscious  of  his  presence,  she  per 
mitted  a  part  of  her  exterior  robe  to  fall  from  her 
face  and  shoulders,  and  the  youth  beheld  a  wo 
man  attired  in  white,  with  glittering  gems  upon  her 
forehead  and  a  sun  of  gold  upon  her  breast.  He  could 
not  mistake;  it  was  the  beautiful  vision  which  had 
met  his  eyes  on  the  night  oi  his  separation  from 


THE    CHILDREN    OF    THE    SUN.  185 

the  Spanish  troops  :  it  was  she  who  had  saved  his 
life  —  it  was  Runa,  the  priestess  of  the  sun! 

His  first  idea  was  to  prostrate  himself  at  her 
feet;  but,  by  a  strong  effort,  he  continued  silent, 
and  gazed  with  mingled  admiration  and  awe  upon 
the  now  pallid,  but  composed  countenance  of  the 
maiden.  Her  devotions  being  over,  she  returned 
to  Orano.  The  two  had  now  a  brief  conference, 
and  then  set  out  to  depart.  When  they  came  to 
the  place  where  the  young  Spaniard  was  standing, 
they  appeared  disconcerted;  the  priest  lifted  his 
hand,  as  if  exorcising  an  evil  spirit,  and  the  maiden 
drew  her  fur  hood  more  closely  around  her  face. 
Ghicama  was  the  first  to  speak. 

66  Forgive  me,  Orano,  Child  of  the  Moon,  and  you, 
fair  Evening  Star,  forgive  !  " 

66  Name  her  not!  "  said  the  priest,  sternly; 
"  name  her  not!  Though  Heaven  frowns  upon  her 
lineage;  though  her  kindred  of  the  Sun  and  the  Earth 
sleep  in  death,  she  shall  not  be  degraded.  She 
is  still  a  priestess,  and  still  an  inca's  descend 
ant!" 

"  Nay,  then,  Orano,"  said  tbe  youth,  "  let  me 


186  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

speak  to  thee.     Whither  goest  thou?  and  may  not 
I  accompany  thee?" 

66  Nay,"  said  the  priest,  "  whither  we  go  I  cannot 
tell;  Heaven  must  decide.  We  are  wanderers  on 
earth,  outcasts  from  the  face  of  men.  For  myself, 
I  have  no  fear;  life  has  now  no  charms  for  me; 
I  only  live  to  protect  this  maiden.  Her  father  is 
dead ;  her  kindred  sleep  in  the  tomb  or  are  destined 
to  speedy  destruction,  save  only  him  who  now  wields 
the  sceptre  of  Peru.  " 

"  And  will  not  he  protect  her?  "  said  Chicama. 

"  Nay,  nay,  "  was  the  reply.  "  Know  you  not 
that  she  is  the  niece  of  Huascar?  Know  you  not 
that  these  are  unpardonable  crimes  with  Atahualpa?" 

66 1  cannot  believe  he  would  injure  one  so  inno 
cent,  so  lovely,  "  said  the  Spaniard.  "  I  pray  you, 
hear  me,  Orano ,  r  he  continued.  "  This  lady 
has  saved  my  life,  once  at  least,  and  I  suspect 
more  than  once.  1  owe  her  a  debt  of  gratitude, 
which  I  am  willing  to  repay  at  the  hazard  of  my  life. 
Let  me  attend  you  and  her;  let  me  share  with  you  the 
privilege  of  standing  between  her  and  danger.  You 
are  aged  ,  and  have  not  the  strength  or  swiftness  of 
earlier  days.  Let  me  bear  the  burden  of  the 


»—  i -'-"'•:' 


Tyji.  KHUN!  Mryn 
It  LT  iN  A  ,     0  H  A  >'  0     A  N  IJ     I  II  K     .1  A  (i  I  A  II. 


THE     CHILDREN    OF    THE    SUN.  187 

cares  and  perils  which  may  attend  her  flight  to  a 
place  of  security.  I  will  toil,  or  fight,  or  die  in  her 
behalf.  " 

"  You  speak  ardently,  and  promise  much!  "  said 
Orano,  as  if  deliberating. 

"  And  if  you  will  trust  me,  "  was  the  answer, 
"  much  shall  be  done,  should  it  be  required.  " 

The  priest  now  spoke  in  his  own  tongue  to  Runa. 
After  a  few  words  with  her,  he  consented  that  Chi- 
cama  should  accompany  them  for  some  days,  on 
their  journey  toward  Guzco,  the  capital  of  Peru. 
He  stated  that  Atahualpa  was  then  absent  from  that 
city,  and  he  hoped  to  be  able  to  place  Runa  in  some 
safe  asylum  among  her  friends  there.  Here  she 
would  wait  for  the  turn  of  events.  If  it  became 
necessary,  she  would  fly  to  a  place  in  the  adjacent 
mountains,  where  Orano  was  to  assemble  the  scat 
tered  remnants  of  the  incarial  line,  and  wait  for  the 
issue. 

This  agreement  being  ratified,  the  party  partook 
of  a  frugal  meal,  which  had  been  left  by  their  attend 
ants,  and  set  out  on  their  journey.  Their  path  led 
for  a  considerable  distance  along  the  ridge  of  the 
mountain,  and  then  sloped  on  the  eastern  sjde,  by 


188  FAGGOTS    FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

many  a  turn ,  down  to  a  deep  vale  beneath.  For 
three  days  they  threaded  the  valley,  avoiding  the 
huts  and  villages  that  lay  in  their  route ,  and  seeking 
by  every  means  to  escape  being  noticed.  At  night 
they  slept  beneath  the  thick  branches  of  evergreen. 
On  the  fourth  day  of  their  journey  il  began  to 
rain,  and  as  it  continued  to  fall  in  torrents,  the 
river  which  ran  through  the  valley  soon  burst  over  its 
banks.  This  forced  the  travellers  to  betake  them 
selves  to  the  side  of  the  mountain.  But  here  the 
streams  came  dashing  down  the  slopes  in  foaming 
currents,  and  rendered  it  impossible  for  the  wan 
derers  to  proceed.  In  these  circumstances ,  they 
looked  about  for  shelter,  and  at  last  Chicama  discov 
ered  a  cave,  to  which  there  was  an  opening,  beneath 
a  rude  archway  in  the  rocks.  Here  the  party  halted, 
and,  having  made  good  their  entrance,  they  were 
happy  to  find  themselves  in  a  place  of  seeming  comfort 
and  security. 


THE  CHILDREN  OF  THE  SUN.  189 


CHAPTER  X. 

The  works  of  nature  are  on  a  grand  scale  in  South 
America.  The  mountains  rise  to  the  clouds,  and  from 
the  tops  of  some  of  them,  volcanic  chimnies  pour 
forth  their  floods  of  fire  and  lava.  The  rains  some 
times  descend  rather  in  torrents  than  in  drops.  The 
peals  of  thunder,  and  the  flashes  of  lightning,  are 
the  most  terrific  in  the  world. 

Scarcely  had  our  three  travellers  found  shelter 
in  their  rocky  retreat,  when  one  of  those  wild  storms 
began,  which  mark  the  climate  of  Peru.  The  clouds 
were  hurled  along  the  sky  in  black,  ragged  masses, 
with  bright  openings  between  ;  the  lightning  leaped 
down  from  them  upon  the  mountain  peaks,  and  the 
thunder  was  echoed  from  height  to  height,  or  rolled  in 
growling  murmurs  along  the  valleys.  The  rain  fol 
lowed,  and  seemed  to  fall  in  sheets,  the  rocks  and 
ravines  on  every  side  spouting  with  the  flood. 

The  inhabitants  of  the  cave  sat  looking  at  the 
wild  uproar  without,  when  a  new  and  fearful  event 
attracted  their  attention.  The  voice  of  the  storm 


190  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

seemed,  for  a  moment,  to  be  quelled  by  the  growling 
of  a  wild  beast ;  and  a  moment  after,  the  door 
of  the  cavern  was  darkened ,  and  the  face  of  a 
jaguar,  glaring  with  excitement,  was  presented  to  the 
view  of  the  astonished  group.  Ghicama  was  about 
to  face  the  intruder,  when  the  priest  beckoned  him 
to  be  still.  At  the  same  time  he  turned  toward 
the  beast,  and  bent  upon  him  a  fixed  and  steady 
gaze.  The  animal,  which  had  been  terrified  by 
the  uproar  of  the  elements  and  driven  to  seek 
refuge  in  his  lair,  was  now  startled  by  a  new  sur 
prise.  Cowed,  however,  by  the  storm,  and  not 
less  subdued  by  the  strange  aspect  of  the  priest,  he 
crouched  upon  his  belly,  crept  softly  into  the  cave, 
and  slinking  behind  the  travellers,  buried  himself  in 
the  dim  recesses  of  the  rocks. 

A  few  moments  passed  in  silence.  At  last  Chi- 
cama  spoke  :  "  This  is  a  strange  incident.  How 
do  you  account  for  it?  Is  the  jaguar  a  coward ,  or 
does  Orano  hold  dominion  over  wild  beasts?" 

"  Neither,  my  son,"  said  the  priest.  "  The  jaguar 
is  fierce  and  savage;  he  thirsts  for  blood,  and  will 
drink  it,  when  it  comes  in  his  way.  But  this  event 
is  an  omen  of  good.  Let  us  take  courage.  It  is 


THE    CHILDREN    OF    THE    SUN.  191 

my  gift  to  read  the  signs  of  heaven.  We  are  to  pass 
through  danger;  but  final  safety  will  attend  our 
steps.  The  storm  may  beat  upon  us ;  we  may  be 
driven  to  rocks  and  caves  for  shelter,  and  here  wild 
beasts  may  glare  upon  us,  but  Heaven  will  watch 
over  us,  and  save  us !" 

The  force  of  the  storm  was  now  spent.  It  grad 
ually  lulled,  the  thunder  murmuring  faintly  in  the 
distance,  and  the  tempest,  after  a  few  fitful  gusts, 
dying  away.  The  travellers  now  issued  forth  from 
their  den,  and,  soon  coming  to  the  great  road  which 
led  to  Guzco,  proceeded  steadily  on  their  journey. 
Ghicama  could  not  but  be  struck  with  the  evidences 
of  skill  and  power  which  met  his  view.  Many  parts 
of  the  country  were  highly  cultivated  and  thickly 
peopled.  Towns,  villages,  and  cities,  seemed  to 
crowd  the  valleys  and  slopes  of  the  mountains.  The 
rivers,  which  had  their  sources  in  the  high  lands, 
were  made  to  pass  by  a  thousand  channels  over  the 
more  arid  lands  below;  thus,  in  many  instances, 
converting  nat  iral  deserts  into  fruitful  gardens.  The 
people  seemed  gentle,  tranquil,  and  happy.  In  the 
country  they  went  forth  to  the  labors  of  the  field  in 
bands,  each  individual  being  crowned  with  fresh  and 

24 


192  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE    FIRESIDE. 

blooming  flowers.  Children  sported  along  the  road 
side  and  around  the  doors  of  the  huts.  Like  child 
ren  every  where,  they  were  running,  chasing, 
leaping,  laughing  —  now  pensive,  and  now  gay  — 
now,  like  animals  exercising  their  limbs,  and  now, 
like  human  beings,  beginning  to  try  the  spreading 
wings  of  sentiment  and  thought. 

Ghicama  could  not  repress  his  wonder  and  admi 
ration.  "  I  am  astonished  at  these  scenes,"  said  he. 
"I  had  supposed  Peru  to  be  a  savage  country,  inhab 
ited  by  people  who  knew  not  the  Christian's  God, 
and  who  were  sunk  in  barbarism ,  poverty,  and  vice; 
but  I  am  now  undeceived.  The  spectacle  I  witness 
would  hardly  be  unworthy  of  the  hilly  districts  of 
Andalusia,  my  native  land." 

66  The  praises  of  one's  country,"  said  Orano, 
"  are  dear  to  the  heart,  especially  when  they  come 
from  one  who  has  seen  the  bright  spots  of  the  earth. 
Yet  what  gives  you  pleasure,  brings  dark  and  gloomy 
emotions  to  my  bosom." 

4<  Indeed!"  said  the  Spaniard;  "  this  is  a 
riddle. " 

"  I  will  explain,  "  said  the  priest.  "  The  empire 
of  Peru  was  founded  in  religion,  and  that  religion 


THE    CHILDREN    OF    THE    SUN.  193 

is  summed  up  in  a  single  word  —  PEACE  !  Peace 
is  God's  will,  and  man's  interest  and  duty.  This 
grand  and  sublime  idea  might  have  been  known  to 
the  first  of  men,  for  they  were  near  to  God.  But 
they  lost  this  revelation,  and  with  it  they  lost  the 
path  of  happiness.  It  was  discovered  to  our  Peru 
vian  fathers,  and  they  showed  it  to  the  people.  The 
people  learned  to  love  it,  and  thus  the  empire 
grew  in  wealth  and  power.  Look  around  !  These 
cities,  these  villages,  these  cultivated  lands,  this 
great  national  road,  all  these  improvements — this 
happiness  of  the  teeming  population — are  the  direct 
offspring  of  that  peace  which  the  Sun  revealed, 
and  the  incas  practised. 

"  But  peace  is  no  longer  recognized  in  Peru. 
Atahualpais  emperor,  and  he  has  built  his  throne, 
not  on  peace,  but  on  war.  Blood,  blood  of  his 
kindred,  blood  of  the  line  of  Manco  Capac, 
blood  of  his  own  people,  stains  his  robe  and  his 
sceptre.  Blood  has  been  his  choice,  and  blood  will 
be  his  recompense.  Spaniard,  what  was  dim  and 
dark  before  is  becoming  clear  to  my  vision.  Your 
captain,  Pizarro,  is  marching  in  giant  strides  over  the 
country.  Every  thing  falls  before  him.  Nothing 


194  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

can  withstand  the  power  he  wields.  His  weapons 
hurl  the  thunder  and  the  lightning;  his  men  are 
borne  forward  on  animals  of  supernatural  strength 
and  swiftness.  He  now  approaches  the  emperor 
Atahualpa.  The  latter,  with  his  legions,  waits  for 
him  at  Caxamarca.  They  will  soon  meet.  Pizarro 
will  play  the  tiger,  and  pounce  upon  his  prey;  he 
will  be  like  the  spider,  and  wind  him  in  his  fatal 
web.  The  false  inca  is  doomed.  Coming  events 
cast  before  me  their  prophetic  shadows.  I  see  what 
is  not  yet  visible  to  other  eyes!  " 

"  You  seem  to  think  Pizarro  is  cruel,  and  that 
he  and  his  men  are  to  do  the  work  of  vengeance," 
said  Chicama.  "  Yet  you  consider  him  sent  of 
Heaven  and  he  is  to  perform  its  will.  This  seems 
contradictory." 

"  Such, "  said  the  priest,  "  is  the  view  of  short 
sighted  ignorance.  Pizarro  is  a  man  of  blood, 
and  his  troops*  are  like  himself.  They  come  to  a 
land  of  peace  and  plenty,  and  leave  destruction  and 
death  in  their  path.  Their  track  is  marked  with 
ruined  houses ,  wasted  lands  and  the  bleaching 
bones  of  unoffending  men,  women,  and  children. 
They  are  tigers,  in  the  image  of  man,  which  they 


THE     CHILDREN    OF    THE    SUN.  195 

abuse  and  profane.  As  tigers  are  permitted  of  Heaven, 
so  are  they;  as  the  thunder  and  the  lightning  are 
permitted,  so  are  they;  and  as  these  sometimes 
fulfil  the  purposes  of  Heaven,  so  may  they.  But 
they  are  no  less  the  scourges  of  the  earth,  and  the 
condemned  of  God." 

"  Your  judgment  is  severe,"  said  Chicama. 

"  And  have  I  not  cause?"  said  Orano,  quickly. 
"  Have  I  not  cause?  Do  I  not  see  my  countrymen 
butchered,  their  dwellings  consumed,  their  wealth 
plundered — and  this,  too,  for  no  offence — by  foreign 
invaders,  who  can  lay  no  just  claim  to  the  country 
or  the  allegiance  of  the  people  ?  " 

4<  You  seem  to  forget  the  motive  set  forth  by  the 
Spaniards  for  their  conduct,"  said  the  youth.  "  They 
come  here  as  Christians,  to  make  you  acquainted 
with  Christianity,  the  only  true  religion." 

"  What  must  that  religion  be,"  said  the  priest, 
scornfully,  "  which  teaches  its  agents  and  ministers 
to  rob,  murder,  and  plunder  the  innocent !  And  by 
what  authority  do  these  people  come?  Who  has 
commissioned  them  to  do  this  work? 

"They  have  authority  from  the  pope  of  Rome, " 
said  Chicama ;  blushing,  however,  as  he  spoke.  • 


196  FAGGOTS     FOR    THE    FIRESIDE. 

"  And  who  is  the  pope  of  Rome?"  said  the  priest, 
lifting  his  eyebrows  with  an  air  of  mingled  curiosity 
and  derision. 

"He  is  God's  Vicegerent  on  earth, "said  the  youth. 

"  You  use  words  I  do  not  comprehend,  "  said 
the  priest.  "Seek  not  to  abuse  my  understanding; 
tell  me  rather  what  you  mean  by  God's  vicegerent 
on  earth?" 

"  I  mean  God's  agent,  God's  minister,  appointed 
to  act  for  him  in  the  affairs  of  this  world,"  was  the 
reply. 

"And  so,"  said  Orano,  "God's  agent  at  Rome 
has  sent  Pizarro  and  his  band  here,  to  rob  and 
murder  the  people  of  Peru !  " 

"  Robbery  and  murder  is  not  the  object  of  their 
mission,"  said  Ghicama;  "it  is  only  an  incident  of 
their  enterprise.  I  am  no  priest,  and  cannot  enter 
into  the  subtleties  of  religion;  but  I  will  state  the 
case  as  well  as  I  can.  All  this  earth  belongs  to 
God;  and  the  pope,  as  his  agent,  has  a  right  to 
dispose  of  it  as  he  thinks  best.  Especially  do  all 
heathen  lands  come  under  his  control,  for  it  is  his 
duty  to  see  that  heathen  people  become  Christians. 
K  they  refuse,  he  has  a  right  to  take  away  their 


THE   CHILDREN    OF    THE    SUN.  197 

possessions,  and  subject  them  to  death,  if  need  be, 
to  bring  them  into  the  holy  church." 

"This  is,  indeed,  a  high  trust, "  said  Orano; 
"and  what  evidence  has  the  pope  to  show  that 
such  is  his  office?" 

"  I  know  not,"  said  the  youth;  "  though  I  believe 
he  claims  this  privilege  by  virtue  of  ancient  writings 
and  legends,  which  set  forth  that  he  is  the  successor 
of  those  who  held  the  privilege  before  him." 

"  And  so,"  said  Orano,  sternly,  "ancient  writings 
and  legends,which  here  in  Peru  would  not  be  sufficient 
to  give  title  to  an  acre  of  land,  are  cited  as  the  evidence 
of  such  a  mighty  commission.  Alas!  alas!  the 
blindness  of  these  Christians  may  well  make  a  Peru 
vian  blush.  Ancient  writings  and  legends,  can  convert 
a  man  into  God's  agent  on  earth,  and  commission  him 
to  play  the  demon's  part  toward  his  fellow-men.  0, 
how  terrible  must  be  the  God  that  can  employ  such 
agents ;  how  foolish  the  people  who  believe  and  trust 
them  !  But  I  spurn  it  all  as  a  trick  —  a  mockery  of 
those  who  are  base  and  wicked,  and  who  can  give  no 
other  evidence  of  virtue  than  a  hypocritical  attempt  to 
apologize  for  their  crimes.  Spaniard,  you  are  young, 
and  I  hope,  still  uncorrupted  by  the  vices  of 


198  FAGGOTS     FOR    THE     FIRESIDE. 

these  Christians.  Listen  to  an  old  man's  words  ! 
God's  religion  is  always  a  religion  of  peace.  The 
sun  is  his  type,  and  his  most  eloquent  preacher. 
Love  is  his  very  essence,  and  he  would  be  imitated 
by  all  his  children.  He  would  have  us  all  love  him 
and  one  another;  he  would  have  us  spend  our  lives 
in  making  one  another  happy.  Peace,  as  I  have 
said,  is  the  essence  of  God's  will,  revealed  to  man. 
If  any  one  come  to  us,  then,  with  any  other  religion 
than  this,  we  know  it  to  be  false ;  is  it  not  God's  relig 
ion,  but  man's  base  counterfeit.  Tell  me  not  that  Chris 
tianity  is  of  God,  if  these  are  its  ministers,  for  they  are 
robbers  and  murderers.  Ask  me  not  to  embrace  a 
faith,  at  the  head  of  which  is  a  man  pretending  to  be 
ordained  of  Heaven,  while  he  saps  the  very  founda 
tions  of  morality  by  claiming  what  is  not  his  own, 
and  by  causing  those  to  be  persecuted,  plundered, 
and  burnt  at  the  stake,  who  do  not  bow  to  the  relig 
ion  of  which  he  is  the  chief  priest !  " 


THE    CHILDREN    OF   THE   SUN. 


199 


CHAPTER  XI: 

While  the  conversation  detailed  in  the  last  chapter 
proceeded ,  the  three  travellers  entered  one  of  those 
fertile  plains  common  among  the  mountain  regions 
of  South  America.  It  was  surrounded  by  a  range 
of  the  Andes,  which  gave  it  a  secluded  and  sheltered 
aspect.  It  was  dotted  with  patches  of  trees,  stand 
ing  in  the  midst  of  a  space  which  bore  the  marks  of 
the  highest  culture. 

When  this  lovely  spot  broke  upon  the  view,  Chi- 
cama  could  not  forbear  an  exclamation  of  surprise 
and  delight.  Turning  his  eyes  upon  the  counte 
nance  of  Runa,  he  perceived  that  she  experienced 
similar  emotions;  but  Orano  was  evidently  occupied 
by  very  different  feelings.  He  bent  his  keen  gaze 
forward,  and  seemed  to  behold  some  spectacle  of 
horror.  "  Alas!  "  said  he,  after  a  brief  space, 
"  the  hand  of  desolation  has  reached  even  this  peace 
ful  valley.  I  am  acquainted  with  these  scenes, 
for  here  was  my  birthplace,  and  here  I  spent  my 
early  days.  Though  I  have  been  absent  for  years, 

27 


200  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

every  tree,  rock,  and  mountain  top,  is  still  familiar 
to  me.  I  am  a  priest,  and  it  is  not  meet  that  my 
heart  should  dwell  upon  childish  memories.  I  have 
learned  to  cut  asunder  the  ties  of  kindred,  and  bury 
love  and  friendship  in  the  deep  tomb  of  my  bosom. 
But  I  could  almost  weep, — for  behold  yonder  hamlet, 
once  so  lovely,  now  a  heap  of  ruins !  " 

The  companions  of  the  priest  looked  in  the  direc 
tion  to  which  he  pointed,  and  could  there  distin 
guish  a  confused  mass  of  objects,  from  which  a  thin 
tissue  of  smoke  was  winding  upward  to  the  sky.  As 
they  advanced  towards  it,  they  saw  that  indeed  the 
spoiler  had  been  there,  and  the  tracks  of  the  horses' 
feet  in  the  torn  sod,  disclosed  the  authors  of  this 
scene  of  ruins.  It  was  evidently  ihe  work  of  the  Span 
iards.  This  once  happy  village  lay  in  the  track  of 
Pizarro,  as  he  advanced  into  the  country;  and,  as 
the  people  had  considerable  stores  of  gold  and  silver, 
his  men  fell  upon  them,  and  began  to  plunder  their 
houses.  The  innocent  inhabitants  were  at  first  stu 
pefied  with  amazement,  for  they  had  never  even  heard 
of  these  fearful  robbers.  But  when  they  saw  their 
dwellings  ravaged,  and  their  women  given  up  to 
insult,  their  spirit  rose,  and  they  resisted  their  plun- 


THE    CHILDREN    OF    THE   SUN. 

derers.  Self-defence,  in  a  heathen,  has  always 
been  a  deadly  sin,  in  the  eyes  of  Christian  soldiers, 
and  the  poor  Indians  were  now  devoted  to  destruc 
tion.  The  priest  who  accompanied  the  Spaniards 
pronounced  a  curse  upon  the  savages  :  "  They  are 
enemies  of  God,"  said  he;  "  strike,  Spaniards  — 
strike  —  for  the  cross  and  the  crown !  " 

The  soldiery,  finding  the  impulses  of  religion  and 
loyalty  added  to  avarice,  rushed  furiously  upon  the 
people,  and  doomed  men,  women,  and  children  to 
destruction.  Having  completed  their  work ,  they 
withdrew  to  a  short  distance;  the  priest  performed 
solemn  rites  as  a  thanksgiving  to  God,  for  the  signal 
triumph  he  had  vouchsafed  to  his  holy  religion  and 
chosen  people,  over  the  heathen  —  the  enemies  of 
God  and  man ;  and  the  soldiers  indulged  in  a  revel, 
cheered  by  the  rich  booty  they  had  acquired.  The 
night  was  spent  in  mirth,  and  the  tales  that  were 
told  of  feats  perfomed  in  the  massacre,  contributed 
not  a  little  to  the  gayety  of  the  scene. 

It  was  but  two  days  after  these  events  that  our 
travellers  reached  the  now  ruined  village.  They  hes 
itated  for  a  time  to  enter  the  place.  All  around  was 
as  silent  as  the  grave.  Not  a  living  being  was  to  be 


202  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

seen.  As  they  entered  the  little  street  which  passed 
between  the  wrecks  of  a  hundred  houses,  they  saw 
mangled  forms  of  people  of  all  ages  and  sizes,  scat 
tered  around  upon  the  earth.  Some  of  them  lay 
amid  the  dying  embers  of  the  houses  which  had  been 
consigned  to  the  flames,  and  more  than  one  was 
partially  consumed  by  the  devouring  element.  Moth 
ers  were  lying  by  the  side  of  their  infants,  showing 
that  they  had  perished  in  the  defence  of  their  off 
spring;  a  whole  family — father,  mother,  and  children 
—  was  occasionally  seen  lying  around  the  door  of 
their  dwelling,  in  a  bloody  and  hideous  group. 

The  heart  of  Chicama  was  soon  sickened  by  these 
spectacles  of  horror.  Runa  covered  her  face,  and 
was  led  onward  by  the  priest.  The  latter  seemed 
seeking  for  some  object  of  deep  interest,  till  he  came 
to  a  house  which  was  left  standing.  He  entered  and 
gazed  around.  It  was  dark,  and  at  first  he  could 
distinguish  nothing.  As  he  proceeded  to  a  remote 
corner  of  the  room,  he  was  able  to  discover  a  human 
form  stretched  upon  a  bed  of  reeds.  He  laid  his 
hand  reverently  upon  the  brow;  it  was  as  cold  as 
marble.  The  form  of  the  priest  shook  with  emotion, 
for  the  lifeless  body  was  that  of  his  father!  He,  loo, 


THE     CHILDREN    OF     THE    SUN.  203 

— his  head  silvered  with  a  hundred  years  —  had 
died  by  the  Christian's  blade. 

Orano  was  soon  restored  to  his  self  possession. 
He  led  Runa  forth,  and  left  her  with  Chicama.  He 
then  returned,  and  with  pious  care  dug  a  grave  in  the 
floor  of  the  hut.  There  he  deposited  the  remains 
of  his  parent,  and  then  sat  down  by  the  side  of  the 
grave.  Apparently  wrapped  in  a  trance,  he  contin 
ued  immovable  as  a  statue  during  the  whole  night. 
As  the  sun  came  up,  and  shone  into  the  dwelling, 
the  priest  arose,  and,  after  performing  some  mystic 
ceremonies,  departed  and  sought  for  his  companions; 
but  it  was  long  ere  he  could  find  them.  During  the 
night,  they  had  taken  shelter  in  a  dwelling  apart  from 
the  village.  On  entering  this,  they  made  a  discovery 
which  excited  their  utmost  sympathy.  On  a  bed  in 
the  corner  of  the  room,  lay  a  youthful  woman  in  the 
sleep  of  death.  A  Spanish  sabre  had  entered  her 
bosom,  and  she  appeared  not  to  have  moved  after 
the  blow  was  struck.  By  her  side  was  an  infant, 
no  doubt  overlooked  by  the  soldier  who  had  slain 
the  parent.  The  child  was  still  living,  and,  though 
faint  from  want  of  food,  was  striving  to  draw  nourish 
ment  from  the  breast  which  had  hitherto  been  the 


204  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

fountain  of  life.  Alas !  how  cold  must  be  the  bosom 
of  a  mother,  when  it  refuses  to  give  sustenance  to 
her  famishing  offspring! 

Our  two  youthful  travellers  were  deeply  touched 
by  this  scene.  Runa  seemed  to  forget  her  stately 
reserve,  and,  taking  the  child,  sought  to  give  it 
warmth  by  holding  it  to  her  breast.  Chicama 
brought  some  water,  and  a  small  quantity  was  put 
into  the  mouth  of  the  infant.  A  little  potato  meal 
was  also  taken  from  the  sack  of  the  travellers,  and, 
being  moistened,  was  given  to  the  child.  But  it 
was  all  in  vain.  The  spring  of  life  was  exhausted. 
After  uttering  a  few  wailing  sounds,  a  shudder  ran 
through  the  little  creature's  frame,  and  it  was  num 
bered  with  the  dead.  Runa  held  it  still  in  her  arms, 
and  wept  over  it.  Then  she  washed  away  the  blood 
with  which  it  was  covered,  and  finally  robed  it  in  a 
piece  of  coarse  cloth  which  she  found  in  the  room. 
When  Orano  came,  the  mother  and  child  were  depos 
ited  in  a  vault  which  they  dug  beneath  the  floor. 

The  party  were  all  anxious  to  depart  from  this 
scene  of  horror.  They  proceeded  on  their  way  in 
silence.  After  the  space  of  an  hour,  the  priest 
spoke  :  "  What  think  you,  Spaniard,"  said  he, 


THE    CHILDREN    OF  THE    SUN.  205 

addressing  Chicama, — "  what  think  you  of  these 
scenes?  " 

"  It  is  fearful,  "  said  Chicama.  "My  reason  is 
staggered  by  what  I  behold.  " 

"  That  may  well  be,  "  said  Orano;  "  for  you  are 
young,  and  know  not  the  whole  story  of  life.  You 
are  a  Spaniard;  and  like  that  of  your  countrymen, 
your  heart  is  high  and  haughty.  You  came  to  teach 
the  Peruvian  that  he  was  a  savage — that  you  only 
were  refined.  You  came  to  tell  him  that  his  wor 
ship  of  the  sun  is  pure  idolatry — a  damnable  heresy. 
You  propose  to  offer  him  Christianity — the  only 
true  faith.  Such  is  the  preaching  of  your  lips;  but 
what  is  the  preaching  of  your  deeds?  Let  the  des 
olated  village  and  the  ghastly  forms  we  have  just 
left,  furnish  the  reply !  Chicama,  there  is  a  world 
of  reckoning  hereafter;  the  Spaniard  and  the  Peru 
vian  will  be  there.  Pizarro,  his  soldiers,  and  his 
priest,  will  stand  before  the  dread  tribunal,  and  they 
will  be  confronted  by  the  spirits  of  these  butchered 
fathers,  these  violated  mothers,  these  murdered 
innocents.  What  then  will  avail  your  emblem  of 
the  cross — your  haughty  pretensions  to  the  keys  of 
heaven — your  strings  of  beads — your  costly  masses 


206  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

—your  long  reckonings  of  prayers  muttered  in  an 
unknown  tongue?     Will  these  stand  you  in  stead 
before  the  God  of  truth  and  mercy?     Will  you  dare 
to  plead  these,  in  the  court  of  heaven,  as  an  excuse 
for  crimes  which  might  make  a  tiger  blush?     Oh, 
sacred  Spirit !  thou  that  dwellest  in  the  sun !  let  thy 
light  and  warmth  shine  on  my  heart.     Teach  me  the 
path  of  truth  and  mercy.     Above  all,  save  me  from 
being  bewildered  by  priestly  craft.     Save  me  from 
forms  and  ceremonies;  for  I  see  that  they  endanger 
the  soul.     I  see  these  Spaniards,  highly  religious  in 
the   performance    of   the    rites    which    the    priest 
teaches,  while  their  lives  are  given  up  to  every  spe 
cies  of  wickedness.     How  fearful  it  is  to  attempt  to 
cheat  God  with  hypocritical  rites ,  so  that  we  may 
indulge  ourselves  in  the  service  of  the  devil !     Yet 
this  is  the  only  meaning  and  use  of  Christianity,  as 
it  is  presented  to  us  by  these  Spaniards!  " 

"  I  am  unable  to  deny  that  there  is  much  truth  in 
what  you  say,  "  said  Ghicama.  "  But  it  seems  to 
me  that  you  ought  not  to  place  to  the  account  of  my 
countrymen  all  the  horrors  which  we  have  witnessed. 
These  men  are  soldiers;  war  is  their  profession;  — 
are  they  to  be  held  responsible  for  all  the  blood 


THE  CHILDREN  OF  THE  SUN.  207 

that  is  shed  in  their  conflicts?  Is  it  right  to 
call  it  murder,  when  one  man  slays  another  in 
battle?" 

"  Let  me  ask,"  said  Orano,  "  what  is  war? 
Nothing  more  nor  less  than  man  butchering  man. 
We  have  just  seen  a  specimen  of  his  works.  It  is 
ever  the  same  ;  it  brutalizes  those  who  carry  it  on ; 
it  makes  beasts  of  men;  it  teaches  human  beings  to 
do  the  work  of  fiends,  and  call  it  glory;  it  carries 
tears,  anguish,  and  desolation  in  its  path.  The 
history  of  every  battle  is  a  history  of  horrors. 

"  And  he  who  voluntarily  makes  war,  and  he  who 
willingly  pursues  it,  is  a  participator  in  these  crimes 
against  heaven  and  earth.  Let  me  tell  you,  Span 
iard,  no  juggle  can  shake  from  kings,  priests,  and 
soldiers  the  dread  responsibility  they  incur  by  taking 
part  in  war.  A  man  may  defend  his  country,  and 
for  this  purpose  may  become  a  soldier;  but  for  no 
other.  He  may  pretend  that  he  goes  to  extend  his 
religion,  that  he  seeks  to  spread  the  light  of  civili 
zation,  or  that  he  aims  at  the  redress  of  wrongs. 
These  are  indeed  the  common  pretences  of  conquer 
ors.  But  they  are  shallow  tricks,  and  disgrace 
those  who  use  them.  No  man  is  deceived  by  these 


208  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

disguises;  even  those  who  fancy  that  by  such  means 
they  hide  the  real  selfishness  of  their  conduct,  will 
be  struck  dumb  in  the  great  day  of  account,  by 
seeing  their  bald  hypocrisy  exposed." 

"  These  are  strange  opinions,"  said  Chicama, 
"  and  would  be  deemed  absurd  in  the  quarter  of  the 
world  in  which  I  live,  where  mankind  enjoy  the 
light  of  truth,  and  above  all,  the  light  of  the  true 
faith." 

"  No  doubt,"  said  Orano;  "  and  what  is  the 
value  of  that  light  which  shines  only  to  bewilder 
mankind?  I  judge  the  tree  by  its  fruits.  I  judge 
your  countrymen  who  rob ,  murder,  and  destroy  an 
innocent  people.  You  may  tell  me  their  light  comes 
from  heaven  :  I  denounce  it  as  coming  from  hell. 

"  You  think  my  opinions  strange;  yet  what  is  my 
creed?  I  hold  peace  to  be  the  duty  of  all  men ;  to 
be  the  true  policy  of  the  king  on  his  throne  and  the 
peasant  in  his  cot.  I  hold  war  to  be  the  great  curse 
of  man,  and  pronounce  those  who  promote  it  as 
enemies  of  God  and  man.  These  are  the  revelations 
made  by  Manco  Capac  to  my  country  ages  ago.  These 
are  the  fundamental  points  of  faith  in  his  creed, 
and  these  are  the  bases  of  action  to  every  true 


THE  CHILDREN  OF  THE  SUN.  209 

worshipper  of  the  sun.  It  was  by  the  observance 
of  this  policy  that  the  incas  civilized  a  savage  race, 
and  extended  their  empire  from  Quito  to  Araucania. 
It  was  through  this  policy,  general  as  the  orb  that 
enthrones  Deity,  that  happiness  was  spread  over  the 
land ,  that  abundance  crowned  the  labors  of  the 
miner,  the  artisan ,  and  the  tiller  of  the  soil ;  and 
that  virtue  dwelt  in  every  heart. 

"  And  now  I  compare  my  religion  with  thine.  I 
compare  the  worship  of  the  sun  which  teaches 
peace,  with  the  worship  of  the  cross  which  teaches 
war.  Can  I  hesitate  which  to  prefer?  Is  it  difficult 
to  determine  which  is  true  and  which  is  false?  which 
is  calculated  to  bless  and  which  to  curse  mankind? 
which  is  of  heaven  and  which  of  hell?  " 

" 1  must  say  again,  "  said  Ghicarna ,  "  that  I  am 
no  theologian,  and  therefore  shall  not  dispute  with 
you  on  these  points.  But  in  determining  the  re 
sponsibility  of  those  who  engage  in  war,  it  seems  to 
me  that  you  do  not  consider  that  it  has  always  been 
deemed  not  only  lawful,  but  the  very  path  to  glory; 
it  is  embellished  by  every  thing  that  can  captivate 
the  imagination  and  stir  the  higher  emotions  of  the 
heart.  Heroes  are  the  leaders  of  armies;  their 


210  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

gallant  achievements  are  the  undying  themes  of 
minstrelsy.  Music  inspires  the  march,  and  glittering 
banners  float  over  the  long  array.  Nor  is  even  this 
all.  Kings  and  princes  reward  the  successful  soldier; 
the  holy  church  goes  into  the  battle ,  assuring  future 
salvation  to  those  who  fall  and  pronouncing  blessings 
on  those  who  survive.  There  is  even  a  more  stir 
ring  motive  presented  to  the  youthful  soldier  than 
this.  Fair  dames  bestow  their  choicest  favors  on 
him  who  has  shed  the  most  blood  in  battle.  To 
you,  Orano,  an  aged  priest,  whose  heart  is  dead 
to  the  warm  impulses  of  early  manhood,  it  may  seem 
strange.  Yet  let  me  tell  you  that  the  smiles  of 
women  have  more  to  do  in  promoting  war  than  kings 
and  priests,  the  crown  and  the  cross." 

As  Chicama  uttered  this  sentence,  his  eye  chanced 
to  fall  on  Runa,  and  he  could  not  fail  to  remark  a 
shudder  which  passed  over  her  frame.  Orano, 
however,  replied  without  seeming  to  notice  it.  "You 
speak  of  things  which  I  do  not  well  comprehend  — 
of  a  state  of  society  so  monstrous  as  to  shock  and 
confound  my  understanding.  You  claim  for  Europe 
a  high  state  of  civilization ;  yet,  in  fact,  you  represent 
society  as  sunk  in  the  deepest  barbarism,  cherishing, 


THE  CHILDREN  OF  THE  SUN.  211 

as  the  path  to  glory  on  earth  below  and  heaven 
above,  the  cutting  of  each  other's  throats!  Those 
who  excel  in  the  trade  of  shedding  human  blood 
are  heroes,  immortalized  by  the  song  of  the 
minstrel,  and  rewarded  by  the  seductive  smiles  of 
woman.  To  you  this  may  seem  a  pleasing  and 
harmonious  picture ;  to  me  it  is  a  fearful  and  revolting 
mystery. 

"  Yet,  if  it  presents  things  I  cannot  comprehend, 
this  is  at  least  clear  —  that  war,  the  great  brutalizer 
of  the  human  race ,  is  cherished  by  your  kings  and 
priests,  by  your  systems  of  policy,  and  by  your  re 
ligion.  What  must  that  poficy  and  that  religion  be 
which  sustain  such  a  system  :  which  bestow  the 
highest  rewards  on  murder,  and  train  even  the 
gentler  sex  to  look  with  favor  on  him  whose  hand  is 
most  deeply  dyed  in  blood! 

"And  one  thing  more  —  as  to  the  responsibility 
of  those  who  make  war.  Mankind  are  very  apt  to 
try  to  shake  off  individual  responsibility,  when  they 
act  in  masses.  Yet  this  is  the  mere  trick  of 
the  debauched  and  debased.  Look  at  an  army 
—  a  countless  throng ;  they  seem  one  simple  ma 
chine;  yet  every  individual  has  a  soul,  and  the 


FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

record  of  every  heart  rises  every  moment  up  to 
heaven.  Let  us  consider  this  truth,  and  we  can 
easily  see  that  every  soldier  of  the  mighty  mass,  is 
condemned  of  his  own  heart  and  of  Heaven.  I 
speak  now  of  those  who  engage  in  unnecessary  war 
—  in  war  of  invasion,  in  any  other  war  than  for 
the  defence  of  home  and  country.  The  chief  respon 
sibility  lies,  no  doubt,  upon  those  who  stir  up  the 
strife  —  upon  such  rulers  as  begin  and  promote  the 
contest.  These  are  monsters,  though  they  wear 
the  human  shape;  and  if  there  be  such  a  thing  as 
future  account,  heavy  indeed  is  their  reckoning.  But 
even  those  who  are  seduced  into  their  toils,  —  the 
needy,  the  ignorant,  the  misguided,  —  these  are 
voluntary  sinners.  The  light  of  the  human  heart 
cannot  be  so  quenched  as  to  permit  any  man  to 
engage  in  unnecessary  war  without  a  consciousness 
of  wrong.  Every  soldier,  the  lowest  and  meanest, 
in  such  a  war,  knows  better.  That  man  may  not 
shed  his  brother's  blood ,  is  written  on  every  human 
heart;  and  every  man  is  a  brother  till  he  crosses  our 
threshold  to  threaten  life  or  liberty. 

"  There  is  another  mode  by  which  mankind  seek 
to  blind  their  minds,  analogous    to   that   I   have 


THE   CHILDREN   OF   THE   SUN.  213 

noticed ;  and  that  is,  by  looking  at  wars  in  some 
of  its  details,  some  of  its  seducing  incidents,  and  not 
at  its  inevitable  results;  by  dwelling  on  its  pomp 
and  circumstance,  its  proud  arrays,  its  gaudy  deco 
rations,  its  stirring  music,  and  its  gallant  achieve 
ments  ,  without  contemplating  its  more  serious  and 
essential  consequences.  War  is  an  evil,  not  only  to 
the  conquered,  but  to  the  conqueror.  Every  step  is 
downward.  The  soldier  exchanges  a  state  of  freedom 
for  the  most  absolute  slavery.  Martial  law  is  the 
sternest  of  despotisms,  a  military  officer  the  harshest 
of  tyrants.  In  camp  the  soldier  may  enjoy  his  revel,  but 
he  learns  debauchery  and  degradation  as  a  recom 
pense.  He  is  taken  away  from  home,  from  the 
kindly  influence  of  society,  of  friends,  and  the  insti 
tutions  of  religion.  If  he  waste  not  his  strength  in 
dissipation,  his  heart  at  least  is  corrupted  by  vice. 
Such  are  the  evils  which  steal  upon  the  soldier, 
even  in  his  intervals  of  repose. 

"  And  what  is  his  situation  in  the  more  active 
periods  of  service  ?  He  is  taught  to  ravage  and  de 
stroy  without  remorse,  nay,  with  a  feeling  of  savage 
triumph.  In  battle,  he  takes  the  chance  of  life  or 
death  :  he  may  sleep  for  ever,  and  his  scattered 


214  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

bones  be  bleached  by  the  sun  and  wind  of  a  foreign 
land.  He  may  be  wounded,  and,  after  dragging  out 
days  and  nights  of  agony,  amid  dreams  of  home  and 
kindred,  he  may  expire.  And  what  can  solace  his 
mind  in  this  dread  hour?  Alas!  the  vulture,  that 
sits  waiting  and  watching  by  his  side,  is  more  mer 
ciful  than  he;  for,  while  he  destroyed  the  living  for 
the  lust  of  empire  or  gold ,  the  unclean  bird  will 
not  glut  its  appetite  till  the  last  spark  of  life  has  de 
parted  from  its  prey! 

"  And  then  let  us  think  of  the  conquered  town  or 
city.  Let  us  consider  the  frantic  screams  of 
women,  as  they  fly  from  the  brutal  soldiery,  ready 
to  slay,  or  worse  than  slay,  those  whom  every  manly 
heart  should  desire  to  protect.  Let  us  think  of  the 
desolated  hearths,  the  broken  hearts  and  fortunes,  in 
that  devoted  place.  Go  to  this  scene  when  the  battle 
is  done.  Listen  to  the  cries,  the  curses,  the  wild 
ravings  of  the  wretches  around,  maimed,  bleeding, 
despairing!  Oh  the  thought  is  too  horrible!  Still 
men  think  they  may  promote  such  scenes,  and  escape 
accountability!  " 

*'  And  yet, "  said  Chicama,  "  we  see  all  nations  at 


THE  CHILDREN  OF  THE  SUN.  215 

war,  especially  savages.  Strife  seems  indeed  to  be 
the  natural  tendency  of  man.  " 

"  If  it  be  so,  "  said  the  priest,  "  a  religion  which 
proposes  to  correct  the  natural  propensities  of  man 
ought  to  teach  wiser  lessons,  and  produce  a  happier 
state  of  society.  A  religion  which  not  only  per 
mits,  but  teaches  war,  has  no  claim  to  the  title  of 
divine.  A  system  of  policy,  which  is  compelled  to 
cite  the  example  of  savages,  is  not  worth  defending.  " 

Orano  paused,  and  the  party  proceeded  for  some 
time  in  silence.  They  soon  entered  a  broken  coun 
try;  and,  as  night  approached,  finding  no  dwelling 
near,  they  took  shelter  beneath  the  thick  branches  of 
some  fir-trees.  It  was  near  morning  when  they 
were  disturbed  by  a  confused  noise,  like  that  of  the 
marching  of  a  large  body  of  men.  On  looking 
around,  they  saw  a  numerous  band  of  Peruvians  ad 
vancing  through  the  valley  in  which  they  had  halted. 
They  had  scarcely  time  to  arise,  when  they  were 
discovered,  and  in  a  few  seconds  were  surrounded 
and  taken  into  custody  by  the  strangers. 

The  party  proved  to  be  a  company  of  soldiers  be 
longing  to  the  emperor,  Atahualpa,  and  now  going  to 
join  him  at  Gaxamarca.  They  offered  no  violence 

27 


216  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

to  the  three  travellers;  yet  they  seemed  lo  regard 
their  discovery  and  capture  as  a  matter  of  interest 
and  importance.  Orano  yielded  to  circumstances, 
apparently  unconcerned  as  to  the  issue  of  events ; 
but  in  truth  his  heart  was  troubled.  Runa  was  not 
less  disturbed.  For  a  moment  she  looked  at  Ghicama, 
and  he  could  discover  in  her  countenance  something 
like  an  appeal  to  him  for  defence ;  but  she  imme 
diately  drew  her  mantle  closer  round  her  face ,  and 
clung  to  the  side  of  Orano.  The  whole  company 
now  moved  forward,  and  the  young  Spaniard  was 
permitted  to  walk  with  his  friends.  It  was  no  time 
for  words,  and  they  proceeded  in  silence,  giving  each 
other  an  occasional  look  of  intelligence  or  inquiry. 
At  last  they  entered  the  city  of  Caxamarca,  where 
our  adventurers  were  placed  under  a  guard ,  and 
conducted  to  prison. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

The  week  which  followed  the  events  detailed  in 
the  last  chapter,  was  the  most  memorable  in  the 


THE    CHILDREN   OF    THE    SUN.  217 

history  of  Peru.  Influenced  by  a  variety  of  motives, 
Atahualpa  had  consented  to  an  interview  with  Pi- 
zarro.  He  had  heard  of  the  amazing  power  of  the 
latter,  of  the  feats  of  his  soldiers — their  horses  de 
scribed  as  strange,  swift  animals,  and  their  fire 
arms,  wich  seemed  to  wield  the  thunder  and  the 
lightning.  He  had  heard  of  their  irresistible  march 
into  the  country,  and  of  the  failure  of  every  attempt 
to  oppose  them.  Pizarro  had  taken  care  to  send 
messengers  to  the  inca,  to  say  that  he  was  the 
ambassador  of  a  mighty,  but  benignant  monarch, 
in  the  land  of  the  rising  sun ;  that  he  was  the  bearer 
of  a  message  of  peace,  if  obedience  were  rendered  to 
his  commands,  but  of  vengeance  in  case  he  was 
opposed.  Confiding  in  these  assurances,  repeatedly 
given,  Atahualpa  assented  to  the  meeting  which 
Pizarro  urged  upon  him. 

There  were,  indeed,  other  motives  in  the  mind 
of  the  emperor  than  tbose  which  flowed  from  the 
representations  of  the  Spanish  leader.  His  soul  was 
disturbed  by  a  superstitious  awe ,  at  the  approach 
of  beings  so  strange  as  these  foreigners  were  described 
to  be.  He  could  hardly  regard  them  but  as  mes 
sengers  from  the  unseen  world ,  and  destined  to 


218  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

fulfil  some  great  purposes  of  Heaven.  To  oppose 
such  beings,  was  not  only  vain,  but  a  presumptuous 
defiance  of  the  will  of  Providence.  Beside  these 
considerations,  the  emperor  did  not  forget  those  of 
policy.  His  dynasty  was  by  no  means  established. 
Though  Huascar  was  in  his  power,  his  brother,  Manco 
Capac,  was  still  living,  and  at  liberty,  and  began 
already  to  aspire  to  the  throne. 

Indeed,  many  of  the  people  of  Cuzco  and  the 
vicinity  had  already  declared  in  his  favor.  Though 
Atahualpa  had  destroyed  nearly  all  the  members 
of  the  incarial  line,  some  still  survived;  and  he  had 
just  heard  that  Runa,  a  niece  of  Huascar,  and  cele 
brated  for  her  beauty  and  talents,  with  Orano,  a 
priest  of  such  powers  as  to  pass  for  a  sorcerer,  were 
actually  on  their  way  to  aid  in  the  attempt  to  place 
him  upon  the  throne  of  his  fathers. 

The  camp  of  the  emperor  was  pitched  in  the  vi 
cinity  of  Gaxamarca.  Here  he  had  been  visited  by 
messengers  from  Pizarro ,  who  again  assured  the 
monarch  of  the  benignant  character  and  friendly  in 
tentions  of  their  chief.  These  had  witnessed  with 
mingled  amazement  and  cupidity  the  splendor  and 
wealth  of  the  Peruvian  monarch  and  his  attendants. 


THE  CHILDREN  OF  THE  SUN.  219 

Their  persons  seemed  loaded  with  ornaments  of  gold, 
silver,  and  precious  stones,  and  the  precious  metals 
actually  constituted  the  chief  material  of  their  uten 
sils.  The  effect  of  the  representations  of  this  kind 
upon  Pizarro  and  his  greedy  troops,  was  to  render 
them  eager  to  commence  their  work  of  plunder,  upon 
which  they  were  now  fully  resolved. 

While  Pizarro  was  approaching  the  point  of  ren 
dezvous,  Atahualpa  was  agitated  by  many  conflicting 
emotions.  Hope  and  fear,  suspicion  and  confidence, 
in  respect  to  his  visitors,  alternately  took  possession 
of  his  breast.  A  short  time  previous  to  the  day  ap 
pointed  for  the  ominous  interview,  news  was  brought 
him  of  the  capture  of  Runa,  Orano,  and  an  unknown 
attendant.  He  merely  ordered  them  to  be  kept  in 
confinement,  and  proceeded  with  his  preparations  for 
the  meeting. 

Pizarro  had  already  advanced  and  entered  the 
town  of  Gaxamarca,  a  considerable  place,  fortified  by 
a  wall  of  earth.  He  had  taken  possession  of  a  large 
court  between  the  palace  and  the  temple  of  the  sun, 
and  was  thus  in  a  strong  position. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  16th  of  November,  A. 
D.  1532,  the  Peruvian  camp  was  al]  in  motion. 


220  FAGGOTS    FOR     THE    FIRESIDE. 

Anxious  to  appear  to  the  greatest  advantage  in  the 
eyes  of  his  visitors,  Atahualpa  resorted  to  every  art 
to  decorate  his  person,  and  exhibit  the  splendor  of 
his  court  and  camp.  The  day  was  far  spent  in 
tedious  preparations,  and  it  was  not  till  late  that  he 
and  his  gorgeous  retinue  approached  the  town  of 
Caxamarca,  where  Pizarro  awaited  them. 

When  they  came  in  sight,  their  appearance  was  in 
the  highest  degree  imposing.  Before  the  sovereign, 
advanced  four  hundred  men  as  marshals  to  clear  the 
way.  The  emperor,  seated  on  a  couch  decorated 
with  plumes,  and  glittering  with  gold  and  jewels, 
was  borne  on  the  shoulders  of  some  of  his  nobles. 
The  officers  of  his  court  and  his  chief  attendants 
followed,  being  carried  in  a  similar  manner.  Sing 
ers  and  dancers  accompanied  the  gay  and  gorgeous 
procession.  An  army  amounting  to  thirty  thousand 
men,  marching  in  long  array,  completed  the  train. 

The  inca  entered  Gaxamarca,  and  came  near  the 
quarters  of  the  Spaniards.  He  was  here  met  by  a 
Catholic  priest,  named  Valverde,  the  chaplain  of  the 
expedition.  Pizarro  had  again  and  again  assured  the 
inca  of  his  pacific  intentions ;  but  he  had  nevertheless 
determined  to  attack  and  capture  him,  and  plunder 


THE     CHILDREN     OF     THE     SUN. 

his  people.  This  perfidy  and  falsehood  did  not  hinder 
him  or  his  priest  from  acting  in  the  name  of  their 
religion,  and  by  the  avowed  authority  of  the  church. 

It  may  well  be  imagined  that  Atahualpa,  the 
monarch  of  realms  that  stretched  two  thousand 
miles  from  north  to  south;  of  a  nation  that  numbered 
fifteen  millions ;  of  a  people  whose  nobles  bowed 
their  heads  to  the  ground  in  reverence  for  his  person; 
of  a  dynasty  that  had  reigned  undisputed  for  centur 
ies,  and  that  claimed  to  hold  their  throne  as  the  de 
scendants  of  the  sun — should  have  listened  to  the  ad 
dress  of  the  Spanish  priest  with  undisguised  amaze 
ment,  as  that  functionary  proceeded  to  give  a  long 
account  of  the  creation  of  the  world;  of  the  fall  of 
Adam;  the  death  and  resurrection  of  Christ;  and 
the  appointment  of  the  apostles.  He  then  stated  that 
the  Pope  of  Rome,  named  Alexander,  was  their  suc 
cessor,  and,  as  such,  was  God's  agent  on  earth. 
Acting  in  this  capacity,  he,  the  said  Pope  Alexander, 
had  given  all  the  countries  of  America,  and  among 
the  rest  the  empire  of  Peru,  to  the  king  of  Spain! 

To  enforce  the  claim  thus  established,  the  said 
king  of  Spain  had  sent  his  trusty  servant  Pizarro, 
here  present,  who  now  demanded  of  Atahualpa, 


222  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

forthwith,  that  he  should  adopt  the  Christian  faith 
and  worship,  which  was  the  only  true  religion,  and 
require  his  people  to  do  the  same;  and  finally,  that 
he  should  confess  himself  to  be  a  vassal  of  the  king 
of  Spain ! 

An  address  so  monstrous  shocked  the  feelings  of 
the  Peruvian  king,  but  he  behaved  with  dignity. 
He  replied  that  he  was  monarch  of  Peru  by  the  right 
of  succession,  and  he  could  not  conceive  how  a 
foreign  priest  or  pope  could  dispose  of  that  which 
did  not  belong  to  him.  He  said  he  had  no  disposi 
tion  to  reject  the  faith  of  his  country  and  his  ances 
tors;  and  as  to  the  strange  things  told  him  by  the 
priest,  he  could  hardly  understand  them,  much  less 
believe  them,  unless  he  was  furnished  with  some 
conclusive  evidence  of  their  truth  and  authority. 

Upon  this,  Valverde  handed  him  his  breviary, 
saying,  "  In  this  holy  book  you  will  find  proofs  of 
the  truth  of  what  I  say.  " 

Atahualpa  took  the  book  eagerly,  turned  over  its 
leaves,  and  then  held  it  to  his  ear.  After  listening  fora 
time,  he  threw  it  upon  the  ground,  with  an  air  of 
disdain,  saying,  "  It  is  silent;  it  does  not  speak 
to  me.  "  Upon  this,  Valverde  flew  into  a  pretented 


THE    CHILDREN    OF    THE  SUN.  223 

rage,  and,  turning  to  he  Spaniards,  exclaimed,  "  To 
arms!  Christians,  to  arms!  Behold,  the  heathen 
insults  the  word  of  God!  Strike  down  these 
impious  dogs.  Strike,  for  the  cause  of  our  holy 
religion  !  "  The  soldiers,  already  eager  to  begin  the 
work  of  plunder,  did  not  need  this  appeal  of  the 
bloody-minded  priest.  The  signal  of  assault  was 
instantly  given,  the  martial  music  burst  upon  the 
ear,  and  the  cannon,  artfully  planted  to  do  the  work 
of  death,  opened  their  fire.  At  the  same  time, 
volleys  of  musketry  were  discharged,  the  infantry 
pushed  forward,  and  the  dragoons,  sword  in  hand, 
rushed  to  the  carnage. 

Lulled  into  security  by  the  repeated  assurances  of 
Pizarro,  the  Peruvians  were  totally  unprepared  for 
the  onset.  They  stood  for  a  moment  panic-struck, 
and  fell  like  sheep  before  the  slaughterers.  The  rest 
then  fled  in  confusion,  pursued  and  cut  down  by  the 
Spaniards.  Pizarro,  with  a  chosen  band,  pushed 
forward  to  secure  the  person  of  the  inca.  The 
nobles  of  the  unfortunate  monarch  crowded  around 
him,  and  sought  to  protect  him.  With  touching 
fidelity,  they  stood  firm,  and  many  of  them  perished 
beneath  the  relentless  weapons  of  the  assailants. 


224  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

The  struggle  was  short,  but  decisive.  For  a  brief 
space,  the  streets  of  Caxamarca  resounded  with  the 
thunder  of  cannon,  and  the  peals  of  music  blended 
with  yells  of  terror  and  dismay  on  one  side,  and 
cries  of "  Strike!  "  —  "  Kill!  " —  "  Down  with  the 
infidel  dogs  !  " —  on  the  other. 

The  inca  was  soon  captured  by  Pizarro,  and  the 
Peruvians,  learning  this  fact,  fled  in  all  directions. 
They  were,  however,  pursued  by  the  Spanish  sol 
diers,  who  seemed  to  find  a  fiendish  inspiration  in 
the  cries  of  agony  and  the  waitings  of  despair  that 
came  up  from  the  wounded  and  the  dying  around 
them.  Alas!  the  tiger  is  less  bloody  than  the 
Christian  soldier,  when  he  is  let  loose  upon  a  foe  he 
has  been  taught  to  despise.  The  soldier,  though  he 
may  wear  the  name  of  Christian,  is  then  no  longer 
a  man,  but  a  demon,  and  does  a  demon's  work. 
Such  is  the  testimony  of  history  in  all  ages.  Let 
him  who  embraces  the  profession  of  arms  consider 
well  what  he  is  doing ! 

The  contest  was  over,  but  the  work  of  death  did 
not  cease.  The  flying  Peruvians  were  pursued  and 
butchered  without  remorse.  Those  who  resisted 
and  those  who  begged  for  life  were  slaughtered 


THE  CHILDREN    OF  THE  SUN. 

alike.  It  was  not  till  the  sun  went  down  that  the 
hand  of  the  slayer  was  stayed.  Four  thousand 
Indians  perished;  yet  not  a  Spaniard  was  slain. 
The  gold  and  silver  that  fell  into  the  hands  of  the 
plunderers  amounted  to  millions.  Transported 
with  their  good  fortune,  and  heedless  of  the  scenes 
of  agony  and  death  around  them,  the  Spaniards  spent 
the  night  in  thanksgivings  to  God,  for  the  glorious 
victory  he  had  granted  to  the  faithful  followers  of 
the  cross,  and  in  bacchanalian  revels! 

It  is  not  our  design  to  detail  the  further  history 
of  the  unfortunate  Atahualpa,  or  the  perfidy  and 
cruelty  which  marked  the  proceedings  of  his  captors. 
We  need  but  say  that,  after  a  series  of  sufferings,  he 
was  subjected  to  a  mock  trial,  and  condemned  to 
death.  Father  Valverde  added  to  this  doom  the 
denunciation  of  the  church;  but  he  then  offered  to 
convert  the  prisoner  to  the  Christian  faith.  The  soul 
of  the  inca  revolted  at  such  a  proposal,  coming 
from  such  a  source.  But  the  priest,  like  those  of 
his  calling,  was  deeply  skilled  in  the  arts  of  break 
ing  down  the  mind;  and  accordingly  he  threatened 
his  victim  with  being  burned  alive,  and  consigned  to 
the  agonizing  fires  of  hell  hereafter,  if  he  refused  to 


226  FAGGOTS    FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

be  baptized  and  to  embrace  the  Catholic  faith.  The 
scene  presented  was  one  of  those  dark  and  fearful 
passages  with  which  the  history  of  priestcraft 
abounds.  The  monarch  was  wasted  to  a  shadow 
by  suffering  and  sorrow,  but  he  had  still  something 
of  the  dignity  which  belongs  to  a  superior  mind. 
Though  trained  in  the  habits  which  attend  an  exalted 
station,  he  was  now  seated  upon  the  floor  of  his 
prison,  which  was  lighted  only  by  the  glare  of  a 
torch.  Before  him  was  the  priest,  making  a  last 
offer  to  the  prisoner. 

The  struggle  in  the  inca's  breast  was  painted  upon 
his  brow.  For  a  long  time,  he  resisted;  but  at  last, 
shocked  and  overwhelmed  by  the  horrors  that 
threatened  him,  he  yielded  to  the  pressure,  and  re 
ceived  baptism.  In  consideration  of  his  conversion, 
the  monk  granted  him  absolution  for  his  sins,  and 
kindly  caused  him  to  be  strangled  at  the  stake, 
instead  of  being  roasted  to  death  by  fire,  as  had 
been  decreed  by  his  judges  ! 

Such  is  the  record  which  history  has  left  us ;  and 
fearful  as  it  is,  unhappily,  it  stands  not  alone.  It  is 
but  one  among  a  thousand  instances,  in  which  men, 
wielding  the  authority  of  religion,  and  pretending 


THE     CHILDREN  OF  THE  SUN. 

to  act  for  God,  have  made  humanity  blush.  The 
lesson  which  these  things  teach  us  is,  to  shun  the 
agents  of  every  system,  whatever  it  may  be,  who, 
pretending  to  act  by  divine  appointment,  proceed  in 
a  manner  for  which  the  words  and  example  of  Christ 
do  not  furnish  explicit  authority.  Let  no  priest,  or 
potentate,  or  power,  exercise  influence  over  our 
minds,  who  cannot  point  to  the  Bible,  and  show  us, 
there,  his  high  commission! 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


We  must  now  turn  our  attention  to  the  three  ad 
venturers,  with  whose  history  this  narrative  is  more 
particularly  concerned.  We  left  them  confined  in  the 
prison  of  Caxamarca.  They  remained  there  three 
days,  awaiting  the  action  of  Atahualpa,  and  expect 
ing  every  moment  to  be  summoned  to  his  presence. 
Knowing  the  anxiety  of  that  monarch  to  remove  every 
obstacle  in  the  way  of  his  possessing  the  throne  of 


228  FAGGOTS     FOR    THE     FIRESIDE. 

the  incas ,  Orano  would  naturally  have  been  uneasy 
at  the  opportunity  that  now  seemed  to  be  offered  for 
promoting  his  scheme,  by  sacrificing  Runa,  the  niece 
of  the  murdered  Huascar,  and  of  undoubted  incarial 
lineage.  But  the  priest  seemed  occupied  with  a 
superstitions  confidence  that  Atahualpa  was  doomed, 
and  that  the  cause  of  what  he  deemed  legitimacy 
would  prevail.  Amid  the  darkness  of  the  dungeon, 
he  was  therefore  cheerful ;  and,  when  Runa  or  Ghi- 
cama  suggested  any  apprehension,  he  readily  turned 
it  aside. 

The  three  days  passed,  and  the  fourth  was  far 
advanced,  when  an  unusual  sound  was  heard  by  the 
prisoners.  At  first  it  was  mistaken  for  the  shock  of 
an  earthquake ;  but  the  practised  ear  of  Ghicama  was 
soon  able  to  detect  its  cause.  "  The  Spaniards  are 
here!  "  said  he,  quickly.  An  intense  interest  was 
immediately  excited,  and  every  ear  was  bent  to  catch 
the  sounds  that  reached  the  prison.  A  few  moments 
passed,  and  all  was  still.  The  prisoners  spent  the 
remainder  of  the  day  in  vain  conjectures  as  to  the 
issue  of  the  struggle  which  they  imagined  to  have 
taken  place.  Night  came,  but  the  jailer  did  not  ar 
rive  at  his  wonted  hour. 


THE     CHILDREN    OF    THE     SUN. 

The  following  day  was  far  advanced,  when  the 
door  of  the  prison  was  opened,  and  two  Spaniards 
entered.  At  first,  they  gazed  cautiously  around, 
and  then  advanced  into  the  room,  their  swords  be 
ing  ready  in  their  hands.  Ghicama  and  Runa  stood 
aloof  in  the  recesses  of  the  dungeon,  but  Orano  went 
forward,  and  was  immediately  seized  by  the  soldiers. 
Struck  by  his  appearance,  they  led  him  to  the  door  of 
the  prison,  when  their  amazement  was  still  increased. 
His  towering  form,  his  snowy  hair,  his  eagle  eye, 
and  his  wild ,  uncouth  dress  of  skins,  —  all  con 
tributed  to  make  him  seem  something  unearthly  and 
prodigious.  Nor  did  his  being  found  in  the  recesses 
of  a  dungeon,  diminish  the  strange  interest  that  his 
aspect  excited.  In  their  surprise,  the  soldiers  forgot 
to  look  farther  into  the  dungeon,  and  immediately 
took  their  captive  to  the  office  of  their  chief. 

Here  he  underwent  a  brief  examination;  but 
Orano,  assuming  the  character  of  a  fanatical  priest 
of  the  sun,  easily  baffled  the  soldier.  He  was 
therefore  turned  over  to  Valverde,  who  was  in 
structed  to  make  more  thorough  and  careful  inquiries 
of  the  prisoner. 

Valverde  was  not  less  surprised  than  others  had 


230  FAGGOTS     FOR    THE     FIRESIDE. 

been  at  the  aspect  of  the  Indian  sage.  He  imme 
diately  began  his  examination,  and  his  astonishment 
was  increased  by  receiving  answers  in  the  Spanish 
tongue.  The  dialogue  was  long  and  interesting. 
After  some  conversation,  Valverde  sought  to  impress 
the  prisoner  with  the  superior  claims  of  his  religion. 
Orano  heard  him  some  time  in  silence;  at  last,  he 
replied:4' I  understand  your  words  and  the  opinions 
you  utter,  and  they  are  not  wholly  new  to  me ;  but 
T  was  born  a  Peruvian,  and  I  have  been  appointed  a 
priest  of  the  sun.  Look  at  me,  Spaniard;  I  am  of  a 
different  lineage  from  thyself,  and  my  faith  is  as 
different  from  thine  as  the  blood  that  flows  in  my 
veins  is  distinct  from  that  of  the  Spaniard.  You  can 
neither  change  me  nor  my  religion."  "Be  not  too 
sure  of  that,"  said  the  priest;  "there  are  powers 
of  persuasion  other  than  those  of  words.  See 
here,  "  said  he,  pointing  to  a  rack  which  stood  in  the 
room;  "  let  me  apply  this,  and  it  will  wrench  every 
joint  in  your  body  asunder.  Can  you  withstand 
that  argument?  " 

"  Dare  you  use  it?"  said  Orano. 

"  God's  ministers  are  empowered,"  said  Valverde, 
"  to  use  any  means  which  may  be   necessary  to 


THE    CHILDREN    OF    THE    SUN.  231 

compel  mankind  to  enter  the  holy  church,  and  thus 
obtain  salvation.  " 

"  I  have  heard  of  this,  "  said  Orano,  *'  but  I 
have  never  believed  it.  Tell  me,  Spaniard,  what 
right  have  you  to  force  your  religion  upon  the  Peru 
vian?  Is  not  my  mind  my  own?  Is  not  liberty  of 
thought  a  part  of  my  existence  and  birthright?  Is  it 
not  the  gift  of  God?  And  dare  you,  a  man  like 
myself,  come  between  me  and  the  Eternal,  to  take 
away  that  which  he  has  bestowed?  " 

"  Hear  me,  "  said  the  priest.  "  This  liberty  of 
thought,  of  which  you  speak,  is  au  idle  dream.  All 
things  on  earth  belong  to  God.  He  has  deputed  his 
power  to  the  church  and  its  ministers ;  that  power  is 
committed  to  me  so  far  as  respects  yourself.  I  bear 
a  commission  from  the  pope  of  Rome,  the  head  of 
the  church ;  and  by  virtue  of  this  I  have  dominion 
over  your  soul  and  body.  The  first  duty  of  man  is 
to  bow  submissively  to  the  religion  of  the  cross; 
liberty  of  thought  is  but  another  name  for  rebellion 
and  infidelity ;  no  man  has  a  right  to  form  his  re- 
ligious  opinions;  obedience  to  the  church  is  the  first 
duty.  He  who  resists  is  an  enemy  of  God  ;  and  it  is 
the  duty  and  privilege  of  the  church  to  inflict  torture, 


29 


232  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

and  even  death,  upon  the  body,  if  it  be  necessary,  to 
save  the  soul.  " 

"  These  are  strange  words,  indeed,  "  said  Orano. 
"  Suppose,  "  said  he  to  Valverde,  — "  suppose 
yourself  in  my  condition .  Your  religion  seems  to  me 
a  system  of  absurdities.  You  say  that  your  God  is 
eternal;  yet  that,  on  a  certain  occasion,  he  was  killed. 
You  declare  that  he  is  a  God  of  love;  yet  you,  his 
ministers,  in  his  name,  do  acts  which  would  dis 
grace  a  savage.  You  represent  him  as  a  God  of 
justice;  yet  you,  his  ministers,  take  away  from  man 
the  right  to  think,  the  right  to  his  own  soul.  You 
say  he  is  a  God  of  peace;  yet  you,  his  ministers, 
carry  on  war  against  the  innocent  and  unoffending. 
You  pretend  to  be  civilized,  to  come  from  a  land  of 
light  and  learning ,  and  to  bring  us  a  better  worship 
than  that  of  the  sun ;  yet  we  are  told  that,  in  one  of 
your  religious  ceremonies,  you  eat  the  flesh  and  drink 
the  blood  of  your  God ;  we  are  told  that  this  is  not  a 
mere  mystic  rite ,  that  it  is  real  blood  you  drink,  and 
real  flesh  you  eat. 

"  This,  Spaniard,  is  the  religion  you  bring  to  me, 
and  command  me  to  receive  it,  and  threaten  to 
wrench  these  poor  and  aged  limbs  with  that  fiendish 


THE    CHILDREN    OF    THE    SUN.  233 

wheel,  if  I  refuse  obedience.  Let  me  tell  you  that  I 
am  a  priest  as  well  as  yourself.  I  believe  in  Pacha- 
camac,  the  high  and  holy  essence  of  truth,  the 
Supreme  Good.  I  believe  in  the  sun,  his  glorious 
type  and  minister.  I  believe  that  love,  and  peace, 
and  charity,  arid  good-will  to  man,  constitute  the  life 
of  religion.  I  believe  this  to  be  the  will  of  God  and 
the  duty  of  man.  This  was  the  faith  of  my  fathers. 
It  is  the  faith  of  my  nation  and  my  kindred;  it  is  my 
faith;  it  is  woven  into  the  texture  of  my  soul.  The 
light  that  comes  down  from  the  sun,  shows  me  the 
hill,  the  mountain,  and  the  river,  and  I  cannot  doubt 
their  existence ;  the  light  of  God  shines  as  distinctly 
on  my  soul,  and  the  objects  of  nature  are  not  stamp 
ed  stronger  on  my  conviction,  than  are  the  religious 
truths  to  which  my  mind  is  wedded. 

"  Now,  Spaniard,  suppose  yourself  in  my  place. 
What  would  you  do?" 

"  This  is  mere  subtlety,  "  saidValverde.  <fc  The 
devil  always  works  in  behalf  of  his  friends.  I  will 
no  longer  bandy  words  with  you.  I  will  give  you 
time  for  reflection.  Remain  here  till  the  hour  of 
midnight;  I  will  then  see  you,  and  if  you  submit  not 
yourself  to  the  faith  of  the  cross,  if  you  do  not  re- 


234  FAGGOTS    FOR    THE     FIRESIDE. 

nounce  your  fiendish  idolatries,  then  the  rack  must 
do  its  work.  In  the  mean  time,  take  this  crucifix, 
and  let  me  commend  you  to  a  better  state  of  mind.  " 
The  priest  handed  Orano  the  sacred  emblem,  but 
he  turned  from  it;  and  Valverde,  with  a  bitter  smile, 
left  the  apartment. 

Ghicama  and  his  fair  companion  remained  in 
the  dungeon  for  some  hours  after  Orano  had  been 
taken  thence,  uncertain  not  only  of  his  fate,  but 
of  the  state  of  things  in  the  city.  They  were  at 
a  loss  how  to  proceed.  They  had  deemed  it  best, 
however,  to  await  the  issue  of  events.  But  Ghicama 
grew  impatient,  and  determined  to  gain  some  inform 
ation  that  might  guide  them  as  to  their  conduct. 
Groping  about,  he  discovered  the  door,  and  which, 
to  his  surprise,  he  found  unbolted.  He  sallied  cau 
tiously  forth,  and  soon  found  the  court  by  which  he 
had  passed  into  the  dungeon.  Stepping  across  it,  he 
was  about  to  pass  into  the  street,  when  he  was 
commanded  to  stop,  by  a  Spanish  sentinel.  He 
stood  still,  and  said  nothing.  In  reply  to  the 
questions  put  to  him,  he  continued  silent.  Being 
dressed  in  skins,  like  a  native,  he  was  taken  to  be 
one  of  them;  he  was  therefore  conducted  to  the 
guard-room,  and  committed  to  the  care  of  the  officer. 


THE  CHILDREN  OF  THE  SUN.  235 

The  sentinel,  at  the  same  time,  stated  that  the  stran 
ger  had  come  from  the  prison,  and  if  search  were 
made,  other  persons,  who  had  secreted  themselves 
during  the  battle,  might  be  found  there.  This 
hint  was  followed;  and,  in  a  short  space,  two 
soldiers  returned,  bringing  Runa  with  them.  It  was 
evening,  and  the  room  was  faintly  illumined  by  a 
single  torch.  The  appearance  of  the  Indian  maiden, 
rendered  more  striking  by  the  red,  waving  light, 
attracted  the  attention  of  the  officer  in  the  guard 
room.  After  gazing  at  her  for  a  few  moments,  he 
left  the  place,  but  returned  at  the  end  of  a  short  time. 
He  then  conducted  Runa  and  Ghicama  through  a 
long  passage.  On  reaching  an  archway  hung  with 
curtains,  they  paused  for  a  few  moments;  at  last,  a 
soldier  appeared,  and  bade  them  enter.  The  scene 
that  now  presented  itself  was  striking.  The  room 
consisted  of  a  long  hall,  at  the  extremity  of  which 
were  a  number  of  Spanish  officers,  who  seemed  to  be 
engaged  in  animated  conversation.  In  an  opposite 
corner  of  the  apartment  was  a  man  of  middling  size, 
his  countenance  peculiarly  marked  with  traits  of 
energy  and  ferocity.  By  his  side  was  a  priest  in 
earnest  conversation  with  him. 


236  FAGGOTS    FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

Chicama  understood  the  whole  scene  at  once. 
His  disguise  saved  him  from  detection;  but  he  in 
stantly  recognized  the  personages  around  the  room. 
It  may  well  be  believed  that  the  situation  in  which  he 
found  himself  was  not  a  little  embarrassing.  His 
first  thought  was  to  go  forward  and  declare  himself ; 
but  knowing  the  character  of  his  countrymen,  he 
became  anxious  for  the  fate  of  Runa,  now  separated 
from  Orano,  her  proper  guardian.  She  seemed, 
indeed,  to  be  thrown  upon  his  protection,  and  he 
determined  to  wait  and  be  guided  by  circumstances. 

While  engaged  in  this  course  of  thought,  his  ear 
was  attracted  by  the  conversation  which  was  passing 
between  the  two  persons  already  pointed  out,  who 
were  no  other  than  Valverde  and  Pizarro.  List 
ening  for  a  few  moments,  he  learned  the  position  of 
Orano  as  we  have  already  described  it.  The  priest 
had  come  to  report  the  case  to  Pizarro,  and  take  his 
counsel.  After  hearing  the  story,  Pizarro  said,  im 
patiently,  "  Do  as  you  will ;  this  is  your  job,  and  not 
mine.  " 

At  this  moment  his  eye  fell  upon  Runa,  who  had 
been  conducted  near  him  by  the  officer  on  guard. 
He  instantly  arose,  came  near  the  maiden,  and  gazed 


THE     CHILDREN    OF    THE    SUN.  237 

intently  upon  her  for  a  moment.  He  then  said, 
quickly,  "  \Yhom  have  we  here?  "  The  officer 
explained  that  she  had  been  found  in  the  same  prison 
from  which  the  white-haired  priest  had  been  taken. 
"  It  is  very  curious,  "  said  Pizarro.  "  Who  are 
you,  lady?  "  Runa  waved  her  hand  to  intimate  that 
she  did  not  understand  him.  Running  his  eye  down 
her  figure,  the  Spanish  chieftain  seemed  excited  with 
strong  emotions  of  curiosity.  Laying  his  hand  upon 
the  sash  that  bound  her  mantle  across  her  shoulder, 
he  unloosed  it,  and  drew  the  garment  aside.  His 
surprise  was  great  when  he  beheld  the  attire  of  the 
maiden.  A  robe  of  the  finest  and  most  delicate 
fur,  and  of  a  silvery  white,  covered  her  form  from 
the  neck  to  the  feet.  Around  her  waist  was  a 
chain  of  gold,  finely  wrought,  and  studded  with 
jewels  of  many  colors.  From  her  neck,  and  resting 
upon  her  breast,  was  suspended  a  golden  image  of 
the  sun,  the  rays  being  formed  of  rabies. 

Pizarro  was  not  the  only  person  whose  interest 
was  excited  by  the  aspect  of  the  Peruvian  maid. 
The  eyes  of  Valverde  seemed  riveted  upon  her  form, 
and  especially  upon  the  sacred  emblem  which  hung 
at  her  breast.  "  I  see,  I  understand  it  all, "  said  he 


238  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

to  Pizarro.  "  She  is  a  priestess  of  the  sun,  and 
is  an  associate  of  this  arch  deceiver,  this  priest  o 
the  prince  of  darkness,  of  whom  I  have  just  been 
speaking.  Will  your  excellency  turn  her  over  to 
me,  to  deal  with  her  as  the  interests  of  religion  and 
the  church  require?  " 

Pizarro  cast  a  sneering  look  at  the  priest,  and 
repeated  his  last  words  in  an  ironical  tone.  "  Ha ! 
as  the  interests  of  religion  and  the  church  require ! 
Nay,  nay,  holy  father,"  said  he;  "  these  multiplied 
duties  are  becoming  burdensome  to  one  of  your  years. 
You  take  care  of  the  priest,  and  leave  the  maiden 
to  me !"  He  waved  his  hand  with  authority,  and  the 
priest  departed,  though  with  evident  reluctance. 
Pizarro  spoke  to  the  officers,  and  they  also  went 
away.  He,  with  Runa  and  Chicama,  was  now  alone 
in  the  apartment.  He  was  evidently  embarrassed 
fora  few  moments;  he  then  approached  Runa  and 
offered  to  take  her  hand.  She  drew  back  and  folded 
her  arms,  seeming,  unconsciously,  to  assume  an  atti 
tude  of  dignity  and  defiance.  Pizarro  hesitated, 
thought  a  few  moments,  and  then  proceeded  to  the 
door,  and  called  for  his  interpreter.  The  man 
soon  came  :  he  was  a  Peruvian,  and  instantly  noted 


IU1NA     KKKOr.  K     PI /AIM1,  n. 


THE    CHILDREN    OF    THE    SUN.  239 

the  emblems  which  indicated  the  royal  lineage  and 
religious  character  of  Runa. 

"  Who  is  this?"  said  Pizarro,  directing  his  at 
tention  to  her.  The  Indian  seemed  to  hesitate. 
"  Speak  to  her,  "  said  Pizarro,  who  had  become 
impatient.  "  Ask  her  who  she  is,  what  is  her 
name,  why  she  is  here."  The  interpreter  did  as 
he  was  directed ,  and  Runa  replied  with  a  frank 
avowal  of  her  name  and  character.  Pizarro's  eyes 
glistened  as  he  heard  the  recital;  for  he  seemed 
at  once  to  appreciate  the  advantages  which  might  be 
derived  from  having  in  his  possession  a  maiden 
belonging  to  the  princely  lineage  of  the  incas.  His 
heart  seemed  touched,  also,  with  the  singular  beauty 
of  the  Indian  princess.  Assuming  an  air  of  indiffer 
ence,  however,  he  ordered  the  maiden  to  be  dis 
missed,  and,  at  her  request,  directed  that  she  should 
be  placed  in  an  apartment  near  to  Orano. 

During  this  scene,  Chicama  had  scarcely  been 
noticed.  Purposely  standing  in  the  shadow  of  a 
projecting  wall,  he  was  still  a  keen  observer  of  what 
had  passed.  He  now  fully  understood  the  danger 
which  attended  the  priest  from  the  bigotry  of  Val- 

30 


240  FAGGOTS    FOR    THE    FIRESIDE. 

verde,  and  the  still  more  fearful  evils  which  threat 
ened  Runa  from  the  savage  arts  of  Pizarro. 

Taking  advantage  of  a  favorable  moment,  he 
slipped  out  of  the  hall  unnoticed,  determined  to 
peril  his  life,  if  necessary,  to  save  these  two  per 
sons  in  whom  he  had  become  interested.  Stand 
ing  in  a  position  to  be  unnoticed  himself,  he  saw 
Runa  conducted  to  her  apartment,  carefully  noting 
the  entrance.  Seeing  the  interpreter  depart,  he 
moved  toward  him ,  and  made  a  signal,  which  at 
tracted  his  attention.  The  Peruvian  entered  a  dark 
archway  that  led  out  from  the  yard,  beckoning  Ghi- 
cama  to  follow  him.  Obeying  this  summons,  the 
latter  advanced,  and  both  were  soon  lost  in  the 
dusky  shadows  of  the  place. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


The  Peruvian ,  followed  by  Chicama ,  proceeded 
in  silence  till  he  had  reached  the  exterior  wall  of 


THE    CHILDREN    OF   THE    SUN.  241 

the  town.  He  now  looked  back,  fixed  his  eye  upon 
Chicama  for  a  moment ,  and  then  went  forward. 
Passing  through  a  breach  in  the  wall ,  he  entered 
upon  a  rocky  declivity,  occupied  by  a  few  stunted 
trees.  The  moon  was  now  shining,  and  the  inter 
preter,  as  if  solicitous  of  concealment,  chose  a  route 
as  much  as  possible  lying  within  the  shadow  of  pro 
jecting  rocks  and  trees. 

As  he  advanced,  the  scene  became  more  wild  and 
desolate.  On  one  side,  running  along  upon  the  verge 
of  a  steepling  cliff,  was  the  wall  of  the  town.  On 
the  other,  the  rocks  shelved  downward  to  a  wooded 
valley,  which  now  seemed  like  a  lake,  reposing  far 
beneath  the  foot  of  the  mountain.  At  last,  coming  to 
a  point  of  a  rock,  which  projected  over  the  abyss, 
the  Peruvian  paused.  Chicama  approached,  but 
at  some  little  distance.  Observing  the  strange, 
wild  aspect  of  the  place  ,  he  hesitated  a  moment , 
but  after  reflection  he  went  forward,  and  stood  by 
the  side  of  the  Indian. 

The  latter  was  the  first  to  speak. 

"  You  have  signified  a  desire,  "  said  he,  "  to 
have  some  conversation  with  me.  What  now  is 
your  will?  ' 


242  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

"  You  are  a  Peruvian?  "  said  Chicama. 

"  I  am,  "  was  the  reply. 

"  Well,  "  said  Ghicama,  "  as  such,  it  is  impos 
sible  that  you  should  not  respect  those  whose  veins 
are  filled  with  the  blood  of  Manco  Gapac.  "  He 
paused  for  a  reply ,  but  the  Peruvian  only  said  , 
"  Proceed.  " 

Chicama  continued.  "  As  a  Peruvian,  you  must 
have  a  reverence  for  the  worship  of  the  sun,  and 
those  that  administer  at  its  altars.  '  Again  the 
Spaniard  paused,  to  see  the  effect  of  his  words. 
But  the  countenance  of  the  interpreter  was  cold  as 
marble ,  and  afforded  not  the  slightest  indication 
of  any  feeling  within.  After  a  short  space,  Chicama 
went  on. 

"  It  is  obvious  that  you  are  acquainted  with 
these  two  strangers  who  have  arrived  at  Caxamarca, 
and  are  now  in  the  hands  of  the  Spanish  chief ;  you 
cannot  be  indifferent  to  their  fate.  Will  you  not 
make  an  effort  for  their  deliverance?  " 

A  smile  now  passed  over  the  countenance  of  the 
Peruvian,  and  he  spoke.  "  I  am  the  interpreter 
of  Pizarro.  What  is  there  in  me  which  has  led 
you  to  suppose  that  I  could  be  made  the  dupe  of 


THE  CHILDREN  OF  THE  SUN.  243 

some  shallow  trick,  or,  at  best,  the  abettor  of  an 
idle  intrigue  ?  The  black  eye  of  Runa  has  kindled 
the  fire  in  a  young  man's  bosom,  and  he  expects  me 
to  assist  him  in  gratifying  his  wishes.  " 

Shocked  at  this  interpretation  of  his  conduct, 
Chicama  replied,  fiercely,  "  Dare  not  to  speak  such 
words  as  these  to  me.  I  am  a  true  man,  and  have 
no  purposes  but  such  as  I  avow.  Say  nothing  of 
Runa  which  is  unworthy  of  an  inca's  daughter ,  or 
a  priestess  of  the  sun.  " 

"  Rrave  words!  "  said  the  Indian,  sneeringly; 
"but  I  have  learned  that  words  are  wind.  You 
are  a  Spaniard ;  yet  you  are  here  in  the  disguise  of 
a  Peruvian.  You  appeal  to  me  as  a  Peruvian,  and 
seem  to  count  upon  my  patriotism;  yet  you  are  here 
plotting  and  counterplotting  against  your  country 
men.  This  is  a  riddle  ,  yet  easily  solved.  You 
are  a  young  man,  and  Runa  is  beautiful." 

Irritated  by  this,  Chicama  stepped  forward,  and 
laid  his  hand  upon  the  shoulder  of  the  Peruvian. 
The  latter  seized  Chicama ,  in  return.  Firmly 
grappled,  the  two  stood  for  a  moment,  first  gazing 
at  each  other,  and  then  casting  a  glance  into  the 


244  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

dusky  abyss   which    yawned  beneath  them.     The 
Indian  was  the  first  to  speak. 

"  Do  as  you  please,  young  man!  "  said  he; 
"hurl  me  down  the  precipice,  if  you  will ;  but  you 
shall  go  with  me!  If  my  limbs  shall  become  a 
feast  for  the  vulture ,  he  shall  feed  also  on  thee !  " 

'  *  I  am  wrong ,  I  am  wrong,  "  said  Ghicama, 
after  a  moment's  reflection.  "  Your  suspicions  are 
natural.  It  is  proper  I  should  explain  my  situation. 
Yet  how  can  I  trust  one  whom  I  find  in  the  service 
of  Pizarro  ?  " 

"  I  know  not  how  it  may  be,  "  said  the  Peruvian, 
"  with  the  white  man;  but  the  surest  way  to  win 
the  confidence  of  an  Indian  is,  to  repose  confidence 
in  him.  " 

"  That  is  just  and  natural,  "  said  Ghicama.  "  I 
will  confide  in  you  ;  if  you  betray  me,  I  shall  find 
means  of  revenge.  Listen,  for  I  will  now  tell  you 
my  story.  I  came  to  Peru  in  Pizarro's  train.  One 
night  I  wandered  from  my  comrades,  and  met  with 
a  company  of  priestesses  of  the  sun.  Attracted  by 
curiosity,  I  came  near  to  them,  when  one  of  their 
guard  despatched  an  arrow  which  laid  me  bleeding 
upon  the  ground.  I  should  have  perished  but  for 


THE   CHILDREN   OF   THE   SUN.  245 

the  interference  of  Runa ;  through  her  care  I  was 
taken  to  a  place  of  safety,  and  treated  in  such  a 
manner   as    insured    my    recovery.     I   need    not 
detail  the  course  of  subsequent  events.    It  is  suffi 
cient  to  say,  that  I  became  acquainted  with  Orano, 
and,  through  him,  with  the  high  lineage  and  sacred 
character  of  the  Peruvian  maiden.     I  have  travelled 
through  the  country,  and  have  seen  something  of 
the  manners  and  customs  of  the  Peruvian  people. 
I  have  seen  and  noted  the  desolating  march  of  the 
Spaniard.     I  must  confess  the  truth  -  -  I  abhor  the 
conduct  and  career  of  my  countrymen.     I  see  that 
they  have  come  to  a  country  smiling  with  peace 
and  plenty,  but  to  ravage  and  destroy.     I  see  that 
they  have  come  hither,  professing  to  bring  a  pure 
and  holy  religion  to  the  benighted  heathen  ,    yet 
using  this  only   as  a  cover  for  the  basest  cruelty. 
Missionaries  of  God  they  pretend  to  be ;  but  they 
are  the  slaves  of  avarice,  and  every  evil  passion. 
Whatever  may  be  the  consequence,  my  purpose  is 
fixed ;  I  will  never  serve  again  in  the  bloody  train 
of  Pizarro !     I  would  sooner  leap  from  this  rock, 
and  leave  my  bones  to  bleach  in  the  wind.     Having 
deserted  my  troop ,  I  can  never  return  to  Spain. 


246  FAGGOTS     FOR    THE     FIRESIDE. 

From  my  country  I  am  henceforth  an  exile.  One 
duty  I  have  to  perform  :  for  the  rest  I  have  little 
care.  I  will  make  an  effort  to  save  this  princess 
from  the  tiger  in  whose  power  she  now  is.  " 

The  interpreter  watched  the  countenance  of  Ghi- 
eama  with  intense  interest,  while  he  uttered  these 
words.  At  the  close  he  said,  "  You  have  spoken 
nobly,  young  man  ;  and  though  you.  are  a  Spaniard, 
I  doubt  not  you  have  spoken  truly.  Your  confi 
dence  in  me  shall  not  be  reposed  in  vain.  I  serve 
Pizarro  as  an  interpreter,  but  no  further.  I  will  aid 
you  in  an  attempt  to  deliver  Runa  from  her  present 
peril.  But  let  us  enter  this  cave,  where  we  can  talk 
more  freely.  " 


CHAPTER  XV. 


Passing  on  a  few  steps,  the  interpreter  turned  an 
angle  of  the  rock,  and  stooping  a  little,  entered  a 
natural  arch  which  proved  to  be  an  opening  to  an 


THE  CHILDREN  OF  THE  SUN. 

extensive  cavern.  Chicama  followed  and  the  two 
were  soon  standing  in  the  cave.  A  long  conference 
now  took  place  between  them ;  it  was  finally  agreed 
that  the  interpreter  should  proceed  to  the  castle, 
learn  the  state  of  affairs,  and  bring  back  intelligence 
as  speedily  as  possible  to  Chicama.  Upon  this  er 
rand  he  immediately  departed,  and  in  about  an  hour, 
he  returned  and  informed  Chicama  of  an  interview 
he  had  witnessed  between  Valverde  and  Pizarro.  In 
this  the  latter  avowed  his  intention  of  seeking  the 
hand  of  the  Peruvian  maiden.  He  said  that  Cortez 
had  been  greatly  aided  in  his  conquest  of  Mexico  by 
the  beautiful  Marina;  he  believed  it  would  be  sound 
policy  for  him,  in  a  similar  manner,  to  employ  the 
favor  and  services  of  Runa.  As  to  Orano,  Valverde 
was  to  use  him  as  an  instrument  to  bend  the  will 
of  the  princess  to  the  chieftain's  wishes. 

Chicama  could  scarcely  restrain  his  indignation  on 
hearing  this  detail;  nor  was  his  alarm  less  excited. 
He  knew  the  fierce  character  of  Pizarro,  and  the 
unscrupulous  nature  of  the  priest.  He  felt  that 
any  means  that  might  be  necessary  for  their  purpose, 
however  cruel  they  might  be,  would  be  employed 
without  hesitation  or  remorse.  Yet  what  could  he 


248  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

do?  His  chief  hope  was  now  reposed  in  the  Peru 
vian. 

The  subject  was  fully  canvassed,  and  several  plans 
were  proposed.  It  was  finally  determined  to  wait 
until  farther  information  could  be  obtained,  and 
means  suited  to  the  emergency  could  be  devised. 

In  the  mean  time  it  was  agreed  that  Ghicama 
should  remain  in  the  cave.  Before  leaving  him  the 
interpreter  informed  him  that  the  cavern  was  of  great 
dimensions,  and  communicated  by  artificial  galleries 
with  the  castle.  As  they  had  no  torch,  it  was  im 
possible  now  to  explore  it.  The  interpreter  sug- 
suggested  that  perhaps  the  best  method  of  effecting 
the  escape  of  the  priest  and  princess  would  be  by 
this  communication;  but  it  would  require  assistance. 
Upon  this  and  other  matters,  he  promised  to  obtain 
information  and  took  his  leave. 

Our  adventurer  being  left  alone  in  the  cavern  sat 
down  upon  a  rock  and  gave  himself  up  to  thought. 
The  place  was  gloomy,  and  imparted  a  gloomy  tinge 
to  his  reveries.  For  a  time,  he  anxiously  revolved 
the  recent  events  connected  with  himself,  in  his 
mind.  He  then  dwelt  upon  the  perilous  condition 


THE  CHILDREN  OF  THE  SUN.  249 

of  Runa,  and  the  white-haired  priest,  Orano.  Turning 
at  last,  from  these  topics,  he  began  to  reflect  upon 
his  own  strange  position.  Far  away  from  his  native 
country,  —  separated  from  those  he  had  been  ac 
customed  to  love ,  —  he  was  also  separated  from  his 
companions  in  arms  ,  his  countrymen  ,  those  with 
whom  he  had  come  to  this  distant  land.  He  was 
in  a  state  of  opposition  to  them,  and  was  engaged 
in  counteracting  the  schemes  and  designs  of  their 
leader. 

These  things  pressed  heavily  upon  his  heart. 
To  relieve  his  feelings  he  arose  and  walked  forth 
from  the  cavern  into  the  fresh  air.  His  spirits  revived 
a  little,  and  his  mind  took  a  different  turn.  "  Why,  " 
said  he  to  himself,  "  should  I  pursue  these  wild 
and  absurd  adventures  ?  Why  detach  myself  from 
my  friends  and  associates,  and  connect  my  fortunes 
with  this  Peruvian  maid ,  and  this  fanatic  priest  ? 
Am  I  prepared  to  separate  myself  from  my  country 
forever  ?  Shall  I  turn  my  back  upon  Spain ,  its 
arts,  refinement,  and  religion?  " 

While  these  things  were  passing  in  the  mind  of 
the  wanderer,  a  large  bird  rose  heavily  before  him, 
and  flew  to  a  short  distance.  He,  however,  pursued 


250  FAGGOTS    FOR    THE    FIRESIDE. 

his  walk ,  but  be  shortly  came  upon  a  scene  which 
struck  him  with  indescribable  horror.  Just  with 
out  the  wall  of  the  city,  a  fresh  excavation  had  been 
made  in  the  earth.  This  was  filled  with  the  dead 
bodies  of  those  who  had  been  slain  a  few  days 
before ,  in  the  attack  of  the  Spaniards  upon  the 
Peruvians.  The  ghastly  heap  rose  high  above  the 
surface  of  the  ground ;  and  here  were  seen  the 
forms  of  men,  women,  and  children,  bloody  and 
mutilated,  crushed  together  in  one  confused  and 
putrifying  mass.  On  the  stones  around  ,  the  vul 
tures  sat  brooding  by  moonlight,  gorged  with  the 
feast  they  had  made  the  preceding  evening,  and 
ready  to  renew  their  revel  with  the  dawn  of  day. 

With  indescribable  disgust,  Chicama  turned  sud 
denly  back  and  retraced  his  steps.  "  This,  this,  " 
said  he  to  himself,  "  is  the  work  of  Spaniards! 
Of  Spaniards,  too,  with  the  cross  inscribed  upon 
their  banner,  and  the  priest  and  his  prayer-book  in 
the  van.  What  had  these  poor  Indians  done ,  to 
offend  them?  What  crime  had  these  men,  these 
women,  and  these  children,  committed  against  the 
king  of  Spain ,  or  the  Holy  Church  ?  Nothing, 
nothing !  They  have  fallen ,  the  innocent  victims 


THE     CHILDREN    OF    THE    SUN. 

of  that  raging  thirst  for  gold  which  now  animates 
Pizarro  and  his  band.  Alas!  how  cruel,  how 
fearful  is  their  work !  Worse  than  the  very  vul 
tures,  they  destroy  the  living  form,  while  these  foul 
birds  wait,  and  only  feast  upon  the  insensible  body. 
Oh !  I  am  almost  ready  to  curse  the  very  name  of 
Spaniard;  to  forswear  my  country,  and  to  renounce 
its  religion.  I  will ,  at  least ,  make  an  effort  in 
behalf  of  this  Peruvian  maiden.  She  has  once 
saved  my  life.  I  will  peril  mine ,  if  need  be,  to 
save  hers.  " 

At  this  point  of  his  reverie  Ghicama  returned  to 
the  mouth  of  the  cavern.  He  entered  it,  and  was 
soon  buried  within  its  shadows.  He  sat  himself  down 
and  remained  for  an  hour ;  the  minutes  seemed  to 
drag  on  heavily.  He  became  impatient  for  the  re 
turn  of  the  interpreter.  He  again  waited  for  some 
time,  but  no  one  came.  He  arose  with  a  feeling  of 
uneasiness,  and  walked  farther  into  the  cavern. 
The  floor  became  rough  and  broken,  but  he  still 
passed  on.  He  was  soon  beyond  the  dim  light  which 
entered  at  the  mouth  of  the  cave.  The  darkness 
was  intense ;  and  a  silence  like  that  of  the  grave 
rested  upon  the  place.  Ghicama  paused ;  a  kind  of 


252  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

awe  crept  over  him,  and  he  was  about  to  return. 
At  this  moment  his  feet  slipped  and  he  fell  forward. 
He  was  instantly  plunged  to  a  considerable  depth, 
striking  at  the  bottom  upon  the  naked  rock.  Stunned 
and  bewildered ,  he  was  for  some  minutes  unable 
to  rise. 

At  last,  with  a  strong  effort,  he  stood  up  ;  gather 
ing  his  thoughts  as  well  as  he  could,  he  began  to 
consider  his  position.  It  was  indeed  appalling. 
There  was  not  a  ray  of  light  to  direct  his  course. 
Feeling  around,  he  perceived  that  he  was  encom 
passed  by  a  mass  of  jagged  rocks.  He  was  afraid 
to  move,  lest  he  should  be  engulfed  by  some  abyss, 
that  might  lie  around  hjm.  A  sense  of  horror  and 
a  feeling  of  dizziness  began  to  come  over  him.  At 
the  very  moment  he  was  about  to  give  himself  up  to 
despair,  a  flash  of  light  passed  through  the  dungeon, 
and  a  shrill,  piercing  scream  came  upon  his  ear. 

Chicama  instantly  knew  the  voice ;  it  was  that 
of  Runa.  His  thoughts  rallied  in  an  instant.  She 
was  in  danger;  she  was  beset;  he  must  fly  to  her 
relief.  The  rays  that  had  glanced  through  the  gloom, 
had  given  him  a  momentary  view  of  the  surrounding 
objects,  and  the  path  that  led  to  the  place  from 


THE    CHILDREN    OF    THE    SUN.  253 

which  the  voice  had  issued.  Rough  and  broken  as 
it  was ,  Chicama  hesitated  not  a  moment  to  pro 
ceed  in  that  direction.  Guided  by  a  wavering  light 
which  shone  through  a  crevice ,  he  at  last  reached 
what  seemed  to  be  the  wall  of  the  castle.  He 
listened,  and  heard  sounds  within.  There  was  the 
heavy  tread  of  men,  and  the  echo  of  rough  voices ; 
sighs  and  groans  followed,  mingled  with  curses  and 
imprecations. 

Ghicama  was  able,  at  first,  only  to  conjecture  a 
part  of  the  truth.  But  an  incident  soon  occurred 
which  unfolded  the  whole  scene  to  his  view.  By  a 
movement  of  the  men  within,  a  loose  stone  in  the 
wall  was  removed ,  and  through  the  crevice  which 
was  opened  he  could  survey  the  scene.  Valverde 
had  put  in  execution  his  terrific  threat.  Orano 
had  refused  to  renounce  his  religion  and  accept 
baptism  from  the  hands  of  the  Catholic  priest.  He 
had  accordingly  been  subjected  to  the  rack;  he 
now  lay  stretched  out  upon  the  frame,  his  joints 
wrenched  from  their  sockets,  and  his  whole  form 
displaying  the  most  fearful  agony.  Two  soldiers 
stood  by  the  rack,  and  appeared  to  be  working  the 
machine,  at  the  bidding  of  Valverde.  Runa  was 


254  FAGGOTS   FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

leaning  against -the  wall ;  she  seemed  to  be  fainting, 
and  was  partly  supported  by  Valverde.  At  the 
same  time  he  addressed  her.  "  You  can  save  him 
still,  "  said  he ;  "  he  deserves  nothing  but  punish 
ment  here  and  hereafter.  He  adores  the  sun,  and 
not  the  Virgin.  He  kneels  to  one  of  the  heavenly 
bodies,  and  not  to  the  cross.  It  is  in  mercy  to  his 
soul  that  he  is  here  tortured  upon  the  rack.  Yet 
even  this  shall  cease,  if  you  will  comply  with  the 
wishes  of  Pizarro.  Be  his  bride,  and  Orano  shall 
go  free.  " 

Runa  shuddered,  but  she  did  not  speak.  Val 
verde  turned  to  the  men  at  the  wheel,  and  they  were 
about  to  apply  their  strength  to  increase  the  agony 
of  the  victim,  when  they  were  suddenly  arrested  by 
the  voice  of  Ghicama,  "  Fiends!  murderers!  stay 
your  unholy  work!"  At  the  same  time,  impelled 
by  frenzy,  he  seized  upon  a  projecting  stone  in  the 
wall,  and,  wrenching  it  with  all  his  force,  it  gave 
way,  and  fell  to  the  earth  with  a  crash.  Several 
other  masses  followed,  and  in  the  opening  thus  made, 
Ghicama  stood  before  the  occupants  of  the  room. 
Dressed  in  skins,  and  wild  with  excitement,  he  sud 
denly  confronted  the  Spaniards  at  the  wheel.  The 


THE    CHILDREN    OF    THE    SUN.  255 

strange  image  seemed  to  strike  them  with  super 
natural  horror ;  they  let  go  their  hold ,  and  rushed 
from  the  room.  Valverde  dropped  the  arm  of  Runa 
and  also  fled.  Flying  from  the  place,  under  the 
idea  that  a  trick  of  sorcery  had  been  wrought  upon 
them ,  they  left  Chicama  in  full  possession  of  the  room. 
While  he  hesitated  an  instant  what  to  do ,  he  saw 
torches  flashing  from  the  cavern.  In  a  moment,  the 
interpreter  and  two  attendants  appeared. 

A  brief  explanation  followed.  The  lacerated  form 
of  the  priest  was  gently  disengaged  from  the  rack, 
and  borne  through  the  opening  in  the  wall  to  the 
cavern  below.  Runa  followed,  assisted  by  Chicama. 
After  they  had  proceeded  some  distance,  the  party 
paused.  Some  skins  were  thrown  upon  the  ground, 
and  the  form  of  the  priest  was  laid  upon  them.  He 
still  breathed,  but  continued  for  some  time  in  a  state 
of  insensibility.  At  last  his  eyes  opened,  and  he  looked 
around.  Seeing  Runa,  he  beckoned  her  to  him. 
She  knelt  down,  and  he  spoke  to  her  in  a  low  tone. 
66  Priestess  of  the  Sun!  "  said  he,  "  It  is  all  over! 
Orano  must  die!"  "Oh,  no,  no!"  said  Runa; 
"  You  shall  not  die!  You  are  now  safe.  The  young 

32 


256  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE    FIRESIDE. 

Spaniard  has  delivered  us.  See,  here  are  friends, 
Peruvians,  around  us  !  " 

"  No,  no,  "  said  the  priest,  "  my  hour  is  come. 
The  shadows  of  death  are  falling  around  me.  My 
visions  have  proved  vain;  my  hopes  have  bewil 
dered  me.  Tbe  doom  of  the  incas  is  hastening  on. 
Atahualpa  is  the  prisoner  of  Pizarro.  Huascar's 
fate  will  soon  be  sealed;  already,  as  you  know, 
has  the  order  for  his  death  been  issued.  Other 
fearful  events  stand  fulfilled  before  my  vision.  The 
descendants  of  the  incas  will  be  cut  off;  the  temples 
of  the  Sun  will  be  crumbled  in  ruins.  Fly,  Runa, 
fly !  Spaniard  ,  "  said  he ,  turning  his  eye  upon 
Ghicama,  "  be  thou  her  guide  and  protector;  her 
hope  must  be  in  thee.  He  who  watched  over  her 
youth,  and  instructed  her  in  the  holy  ceremonies 
of  the  altar;  he  who  has  been  to  her  as  a  father 
and  spiritual  monitor,  can  watch  over  her  no  more. 
Bury  me  in  this  cavern ;  here  my  bones  shall  repose  in 
peace.  As  Heaven  frowns  upon  Peru  and  its  religion, 
it  is  fit  that  its  priest  should  sleep  where  the  rays 
of  the  sun  can  never  enter.  Runa ,  farewell!  Fly,  fly 
to  the  mountains!  There,  and  there  alone, is  peace." 

The  spirit  of  the  priest  departed.     His  form  was 


THE    CHILDREN    OF    THE    SUN.  257 

buried  in  a  hollow  of  the  cavern.  For  his  friends 
and  followers,  all  around  was  terror  and  gloom.  A 
curse  seemed  to  have  fallen  on  the  members  of  the 
incarial  family.  Huascar  was  murdered  by  the 
order  of  his  brother,  Atahualpa.  The  latter  soon 
after  perished  by  the  orders  of  the  perfidious  Pi- 
zarro.  Following  the  advice  of  Orano ,  Ghicama 
and  Runa  fled.  The  interpreter  was  their  guide  and 
they  took  their  way  toward  those  mountain  heights, 
which  rise  to  the  clouds  in  Southern  Peru.  Here 
the  distinct  records  of  history  end.  We  must 
close  our  story  with  a  vague  tradition  that  Ghi 
cama  and  Runa  found  a  peaceful  retreat  in  the 
mountains ,  where  they  spent  the  remainder  of 
their  days.  They  were  joined  by  several  members 
of  the  incarial  family,  and  finally  their  number  was 
increased  by  others  to  a  considerable  village.  They 
reared  a  temple,  where  Runa,  true  to  her  virgin 
vows,  continued  to  officiate  at  the  altar.  Chicama 
followed  externally  the  same  worship,  but  his  mind 
often  turned  upon  the  doctrines  of  that  religion  in 
which  he  had  been  educated  :  and  when  he  died,  the 
Peruvians,  in  compliance  with  his  request,  placed 
a  cross  at  the  head  of  his  grave. 


THE   SOLDIER  AND  THE  BLIND  FIDDLER. 


Once  upon  a  time,  in  a  far  off  country,  two  trav 
ellers  met  at  an  inn.  One  was  a  blind  musician  who 
wandered  from  place  to  place,  amusing  the  people 
with  his  fiddle.  He  was  attended  by  a  little  boy, 
who  always  walked  at  his  side,  and  guided  him  on 
his  way.  The  other  was  a  stout,  rough  soldier, 
armed  with  two  pistols,  a  cutlass  and  other  weap 
ons. 

The  musician  and  the  soldier  fell  into  conversation, 
and  finally  the  latter,  feeling  very  big,  began  to  poke 
fun  at  the  poor  fiddler.  Now  you  must  know  that 
it  was  a  chill  winter  night,  and  many  persons  had 
gathered  at  the  inn,  some  being  travellers,  and  some 
people  of  the  place.  The  soldier  finding  that  he  had 


THE    SOLDIER    AND    THE    BLIND    FIDDLER.      259 

an  audience,  began  to  tell  large  stories  about  his 
exploits.  He  boasted  very  much  of  his  courage,  and 
at  the  same  time,  he  kept  making  fun  of  the  fiddler. 
He  even  went  so  far  as  to  cast  jeers  and  gibes  at  the 
fiddler's  boy,  and  amused  himself  with  whirling  his 
sabre  round  his  head. 

Some  of  the  people  were  amused  at  this;  but 
most  of  them  felt  that  it  was  mean  and  cowardly  thus 
to  insult  the  unfortunate  musician  and  to  trifle  with 
the  feelings  of  the  boy.  Still  as  the  soldier  was  a  big, 
blustering  fellow,  they  looked  on  and  said  nothing, 
till  a  tall  man,  who  sat  back  in  the  crowd,  arose, 
came  forward,  and  said  that  he  looked  upon  such 
conduct  as  mean  and  cowardly.  At  these  words 
the  soldier  flew  into  a  rage  and  declared  that  he  would 
run  his  sword  through  the  body  of  any  one  who 
called  him  a  coward. 

Upon  this  the  tall  man  said  :  "  Sir  soldier,  you 
pretend  to  have  a  great  deal  of  courage;  but  I 
believe  you  are  a  coward  because  you  insult  this 
blind  fiddler,  and  a  brave  man  never  offers  insult 
to  the  unfortunate.  Now,  I  have  a  proposal  to  make 
to  you.  Near  by,  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain  is  a 
wild  rocky  dell,  called  the  Wolfs  Den,  because  a  great 


260  FAGGOTS     FOR    THE     FIRESIDE. 

many  wolves  have  been  seen  there,  and  at  night  they 
make  a  terrible  noise  in  the  woods.  Now,  you  and 
the  fiddler  shall  pass  through  this  glen,  and  here  is  a 
purse  of  fifty  dollars  which  shall  be  given  to  him  who 
shall  come  off  best  in  the  adventure.  " 

At  this  proposal  the  company  shouted  with  ap 
probation  and  applause.  The  soldier  affected  to 
despise  the  proposition,  and  scoffed  at  the  idea  of 
having  his  courage  brought  into  comparison  with 
that  of  the  fiddler.  But  the  more  he  seemed  averse 
to  the  trial,  the  more  the  people  insisted  upon  it. 
At  last  the  fellow  was  really  forced  to  accept  the  of 
fer,  and  accordingly,  looking  well  to  his  weapons,  he 
set  forth  and  marched  toward  the  Wolfs  Den.  At 
his  side  went  the  Fiddler  and  his  boy. 

It  was  a  clear  moonlight  night ;  yet  the  pass  was 
so  narrow  and  sheltered  by  overhanging  rocks,  that 
it  was  there  quite  dark.  As  they  entered  the  place, 
they  began  to  hear  strange  noises.  "  What  is  that?  " 
said  the  soldier  trembling  from  head  to  foot.  "  It  is 
the  wolves!  "said  the  musician.  "What  do  you 
intend  to  do?  "  said  the  soldier.  "  I  shall  wait  till 
they  have  eaten  you  up,  "  said  the  man,  "  and  then 
I  shall  fiddle  to  them.  "  "  Do  they  like  music?" 


--—  -^"V*. 

vi).  Krnosl  Mcyor 


THE     CONCKKT. 


THE    SOLDIER   AND    THE    BLIND    FIDDLER.       261 

said  the  soldier.  "  Very  much,  "  was  the  reply. 
"  Then  you  will  fiddle  for  both  of  us?  "  "  Yes,  if 
you  will  confess  yourself  a  coward." — "  Not  yet;  let 
us  see  how  it  is  likely  to  come  out.  " 

The  cry  of  the  wolves  came  nearer  and  nearer ,  and 
pretty  soon  it  filled  the  valley.  Then  one  dusky, 
shaggy  brute  was  seen  galloping  along  in  the  moon 
light,  while  two  or  three  others  advanced  in  the 
shadows  at  his  side.  The  soldier  was  a  real  coward, 
so  he  ran  away  as  fast  as  his  legs  would  carry  him. 
The  fiddler  mounted  upon  a  rock,  put  his  boy 
behind  him,  and  began  to  play.  First  he  gave  a 
lively  tune,  and  the  wolves  looked  at  one  another 
and  at  the  fiddler,  not  seeming  to  have  made  up  their 
minds  whether  to  like  it  or  not.  Then  he  played  a 
solemn  tune,  and  they  all  sat  upon  their  haunches 
like  so  many  dogs.  The  musician  plied  his  bow; 
but  at  last  he  got  a  little  tired  and  stopped.  In  an 
instant  the  wolves  advanced  with  their  jaws  wide 
open  and  their  white  teeth  glistening  in  the  dark 
ness-  The  poor  man  saw  that  his  audience  had  not 
enough,  so  he  fiddled  away  for  at  least  two  hours. 
By  that  time  they  began  to  yawn,  and  one  by  one  they 
galloped  off  to  their  holes  in  the  rocks,  while  he  re- 


262  FAGGOTS    FOR    THE     FIRESIDE. 

turned  to  the  tavern.  The  soldier  had  got  there 
before  him,  and  declared  that  the  fiddler  was  killed 
and  eaten  up.  Therefore  he  claimed  the  wager. 
Just  as  the  tall  gentleman  was  about  to  present  it  to 
him,  in  came  the  fiddler !  This  gave  a  new  turn  to 
affairs.  The  musician  received  the  purse,  and  the 
soldier  was  taken  to  a  pump  by  the  people,  and  they 
pumped  upon  him  till  he  begged  for  mercy.  It  was 
no  doubt  a  good  lesson  to  him ;  and  I  hope  and  trust 
it  cured  him  of  the  very  bad  habit  of  boasting  of 
his  own  exploits,  and  insulting  the  unfortunate. 


THE  RICH  MAN  AND  HIS  SON. 


Well,  my  young  friends,  here  we  are  again  around 
the  comfortable  fireside!  How  pleasant  it  is  when 
autumn  creeps  upon  us  and  the  air  grows  chill, 
to  shut  the  door,  bar  out  the  weather,  and  amuse 
ourselves  by  innocent  sports  or  pleasant  conversa 
tion.  When  one  is  snug  and  safe  in  his  own  house, 
he  can  find  enjoyment  in  laughing  at  the  troubles 
and  dangers  without.  It  is  nowNovember,  a  rough, 
rowdy  month ;  but  I  think  we  can  even  find  some 
thing  amusing  to  say  about  it.  Let  us  try. 

November  is  a  sort  of  middle-ground  between 
the  extremes  of  heat  and  cold — winter  and  summer. 
These  two  seasons,  at  this  point  of  the  year,  appear 
to  meet  and  engage  in  deadly  battle.  Let  us  suppose 

33 


264  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

ourselves  on  the  top  of  some  high  mountain  to  wit 
ness  the  strife. 

The  weather,  if  you  please,  is  warm  and  soft,  and  a 
blue  veil  is  hung  over  the  landscape.  The  forest  is 
indeed  brown ,  and  has  a  sad  and  desponding 
aspect.  The  leaves  are,  for  the  most  part,  fallen, 
and  those  which  still  cling  to  the  branches ,  are 
withered  and  dead.  The  grass  is  also  dead,  except 
in  a  few  places,  where  it  lies  in  tangled  and  matted 
masses,  half  yellow  and  half  green.  The  flowers 
have  fallen  victims  to  the  frost ;  the  leaves,  heaped 
into  the  glens  and  hollows,  give  evidence  that  the 
winds  have  begun  their  work  of  desolation. 

Yet  to-day,  it  is  warm  and  soft,  and  the  Indian 
Summer  is  in  its  glory.  The  morning  rises  fair , 
though  the  sun,  seen  through  the  haze,  looks  red,  and 
sheds  but  a  subdued  light  over  the  world.  At  noon, 
the  sky  is  still  unclouded ;  but  by  two  o'clock, 
heavy  masses  of  clouds  are  gathered  in  the  west. 
They  grow  darker  and  stretch  out  their  wings  to  the 
right  and  to  the  left.  In  a  few  hours  they  encom 
pass  the  sky,  and  the  winds  begin  to  sigh  and  moan 
in  the  forests.  The  tops  of  the  tall  trees  shiver 
and  bend  and  writhe  as  if  wrestling  with  some 


THE    RICH    MAN    AND    HIS    SON.  265 

angry  demon.  The  soft  mist  is  gone  ,  arid  none  can 
tell  us  whither.  And  the  warmth  of  the  air  is  gone 
too,  and  a  chill  breeze  comes  puffiing  and  flouting 
us  in  the  face. 

And  see !  the  leaves  are  leaping  aloft  in  the  air. 
Now  they  race  through  the  sky  ;  and  now  they  whirl 
in  circles,  and  seem  like  myriads  of  insects,  chasing 
each  other.  Hark!  'tis  the  noise  of  the  tem 
pest  !  How  deep  and  solemn  is  its  moan !  See 
yonder !  the  whirlwind  is  crossing  the  open  plain. 
You  can  trace  its  form  by  the  mighty  pyramid  of 
whirling  leaves  ,  reaching  from  the  earth  to  the 
clouds.  It  takes  its  course  toward  yonder  solitary 
oak.  It  is  there  —  it  throws  itself  upon  the  sturdy 
tree !  How  the  monarch  of  the  plain  bends  and 
writhes  and  groans !  How  its  branches  crack ,  as 
if  it  were  a  bullock,  or  a  stag,  in  the  jaws  of  a 
lion!  And  see  its  leaves,  torn  off  and  scattered  to 
the  winds ! 

And  now  the  whirlwind  is  passed,  but  look  at 
that  giant  oak !  Its  strongest  branches  are  broken 
off,  and  lie  scattered  at  its  feet.  Its  garniture  of 
leaves  is  gone;  the  smaller  twigs  are  peeled,  rent, 
and  crushed ,  and  the  whole  aspect  of  the  tree  is 


266  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

that  of  mourning  and  desolation.  All  the  glories 
which  it  received  from  summer  are  destroyed;  the 
tempest  has  prevailed.  The  conquered  oak  is 
now  but  a  witness  to  the  victory  of  the  season  of 
storms ! 

The  winds  now  seem  to  come  from  the  four 
quarters  of  the  heavens,  and  for  a  time  appear  to 
meet  and  wrestle  like  mighty  champions,  overturning 
and  crushing  every  thing  beneath  them.  The  clouds 
sympathize  with  the  winds,  and  drive  through  the 
heavens  like  giant  kings  in  their  cUriots,  or  demons 
flourishing  two-edged  swords,  or  dragons  with  forked 
tails ,  or  antediluvian  crocodiles ,  many  leagues  in 
length,  and  all  going  to  battle  ! 

But  a  change  comes,  and  the  north  wind  prevails  ; 
and  now  the  rain  falls,  driving  in  sheets,  and  de 
scending  in  floods  to  the  earth.  And  now  it  grows 
cold,  and  see !  the  rain  is  frozen,  and  falls  in  hail 
and  sleet.  And  now  the  whole  air  is  thick  with 
descending  snow.  Alas  !  alas  !  the  battle  is  over; 
summer  is  vanquished  ,  and  will  return  no  more, 
for  the  year.  It  is  gone  —  with  its  birds,  its  music,' 
its  flowers,  its  verdure ,  its  gentle  pleasures,  its 
soft  fancies;  and  winter  is  coming,  nay,  it  is  here! 


THE    RICH    MAN    AND    HIS   SON.  267 

Dear,  dear, — how  cold  it  is.  We  can't  stay  upon 

the  top   of  this   mountain  any  longer ,    boys  and 

girls !     Let  us   go   home  —  swift  as  the  wing  of 

fancy  can  carry  us.     Here  we  are,  safe  and  sound  ! 

And  now,  John,  shut  that  door ;  stir  the  fire,  Bill ! 

Draw  my  chair  up,  Susan.     Come— come  —  one 

and  all,  —  let's  sit  down  !     Now  bang  away  as  much 

as  you  please ,  old  Blusterer.     You  can't  open  the 

door,  or  dash  in  the  window.  Here  we  are,  snug  and 

comfortable,  in  spite  of  Winter.     Nay,  old  Icicle, 

we  will  set  you  at  defiance.     If  you  come  in  here, 

we  will  put  you    in  this  blazing  grate,   and  melt 

your  nose  off.     Keep  your  distance,  master  Winter! 

You  may  have  all  out  doors,  as  we  can't  help  it ; 

but  home,  dear,  comfortable  home ,   is  ours  still ; 

and  here  we  will  enjoy  spring,  or  summer,  as  we 

please,  in  spite  of  you. 

Gome,  boys  and  girls,  what  shall  we  have — a 
story,  or  a  game  ? 

"Oh,  a  story,  —  astory,  —  astory!" — is  shouted 
on  all  sides. 

Well,  I  will  give  you  a  story,  and  as  I  always  like 
to  suit  my  words  to  circumstances,  it  shall  be  a  tale 
of  the  season,  Here  it  is  : 


268  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

There  was  once  a  very  rich  man  by  the  name  of 
Hard.  He  lived  in  a  fine  house,  and  was  surround 
ed  with  every  luxury.  His  table  was  set  with  the 
choicest  dainties,  his  floors  were  covered  with  the  rich 
est  carpets;  he  was  served  with  the  finest  wines,  the 
most  delicate  fruits,  the  most  fragrant  spices.  He 
was  a  merchant,  and  had  ships  upon  all  the  great 
seas  of  the  globe.  He  was  looked  up  to  as  a 
great  man,  yet.  he  was  not  happy.  Shall  I  tell 
you  why?  Listen  to  the  tale  I  am  about  to  tell. 

One  cold  November  evening,  Mr.  Hard  was  going 
to  his  home,  on  foot.  His  route  led  him  along  a 
street,  at  the  head  of  which  was  a  lumber-yard.  As 
he  was  passing  by  a  heap  of  boards,  he  saw  a  youth, 
pale,  ill-clad,  and  wasted,  as  if  with  disease.  The 
snow  was  falling,  and  the  aspect  of  the  sky  boded  a 
stormy  night.  The  youth  was  partly  sheltered  from 
the  storm  by  the  overhanging  boards,  but  he  seemed 
unable  to  stand,  and  was  lying  or  reclining  upon 
some  pieces  of  lumber. 

As  he  saw  Mr.  Hard  approach,  he  made  a  great 
effort,  rose  to  his  feet,  and  clasping  his  hands 
together,  said,  in  a  faint  voice,  "  For  heaven's  sake, 


THE    RICH    MAN    AND    HIS    SON.  269 

sir,  give  me  help !  "     He  then  staggered  and  fell  to 
the  ground. 

Mr.  Hard  passed  on,  saying  to  himself,  "What 
wretches  these  drunkards  are !  "  And  so  he  went 
home  and  sat  down  to  his  meal,  The  fire  shone 
brightly  upon  his  hearth;  the  grate  was  clean  and 
polished;  the  rug  was  rich  and  soft,  and  presented, 
in  glowing  colors,  the  picture  of  a  horn  of  plenty, 
with  oranges,  and  grapes,  and  figs,  poured  out  in 
luscious  heaps.  And  the  lamp,  shedding  its  light 
through  a  gorgeous  globe  of  glass,  displayed  the  rich 
furniture  of  the  room — the  damask  curtains,  the 
costly  pictures,  the  well  set  tea-table.  And  the 
merchant  sat  down  to  his  tea,  and  the  hissing  pot 
gave  forth  its  beverage,  and  the  silver  sugar  bowl 
yielded  its  sweet,  and  the  silver  cream-pot  added 
its  cream,  and  the  merchant  took  his  tea;  but  he  was 
not  happy,  after  all. 

Mr.  Hard  was  a  lonely  man,  for  his  wife  was  dead, 
and  his  only  son  was  a  vagrant  and  a  wanderer  upon 
the  earth.  The  father  had  been  so  busy  in  making 
money,  that  he  had  not  found  time  to  attend  to  the 
education  of  his  child— his  only  child.  He  was  not 
indifferent  to  the  happiness  of  the  boy;  nay,  he  was 


270  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

to  be  his  heir ;  and  the  father  looked  upon  him  as  the 
future  support  and  pride  of  the  Hard  family.  But  he 
made  a  mistake;  he  thought  riches  all  that  was 
necessary  to  insure  happiness,  honor,  and  fame,  and 
so  he  went  on  adding  to  his  wealth,  and  overlooking 
the  education  of  his  only  child. 

It  is  true  he  sent  him  to  school — to  the  best 
school.  He  gave  him  every  advantage  that  kind  of 
instruction  could  afford;  but- his  mother  was  dead, 
and  the  boy  was  never  taught  that  truth,  honor, 
sobriety,  temperance,  and  piety,  are  the  ground 
work  of  good  character  and  happiness  in  life.  Both 
the  father  and  the  son  thought  that  riches  were  suf 
ficient  to  carry  any  one  through  life ,  and  they  acted 
accordingly. 

Young  Benjamin  Hard  was  not  worse  than  other 
boys,  brought  up  in  a  similar  way;  nay,  he  was 
naturally  good  tempered,  kind  hearted,  and  agreea 
ble.  He  had  excellent  abilities,  but  he  said  to  him 
self,  "  I  shall  be  rich  as  a  Jew;  let  poor  boys  study 
and  work,  and  be  honest;  these  things  are  necessary 
for  them ;  but  I  can  do  as  I  please .  "  And  so  he 
did  as  he  pleased.  He  spent  a  great  deal  of  money; 
he  kept  bad  company;  he  drank  deeply;  and  at 


THE    RICH    MAN    AND    HIS    SON. 

seventeen,  he  had  become  a  complete  rake.     His 
father  was  3  violent  man,  and,  in  a  fit  of  rage,  he 
drove  the  youth  out  of  his  home,  forbidding  him 
ever  to  return.     The  boy  was  of  a  decided  temper, 
and,  resenting  his  father's  conduct,  he  entered  on 
board  a  vessel  and  went  to  sea  as  a  common  sailor. 
For  two  years  young  Benjamin  was  not  heard  of 
by  his  father,  and  the  latter  was  led  to  believe  him 
dead.     He  often  thought  of  his  son,  and,  perhaps, 
reproached  himself  for  neglecting  his  education;  but 
of  this  I  am  not  sure,  for  very  rich  men  are  not  apt 
to  think  they  can  do  wrong.     But,  at  all  events, 
Mr.  Hard  felt  the  loss  of  his  child,  and  sometimes 
asked  himself,  "  \Yhen  I  die,  what  will  become  of 
this  vast  estate?  "    And  then  he  felt  that  his  plan  of 
life  was  folly,  and  even  his  riches  failed  to  give  him 
pleasure;  nay,  they  caused  emotions  of  disgust  or 
vexation.     And  thus,  the  rich  Mr.  Hard,  the  envied 
Mr.  Hard,  the  proud  Mr.   Hard,  was  not  happy. 
Nay,  he  was  a  miserable  man,  conscious  of  having 
played  the  part  of  folly  in  life,  conscious  of  having 
missed  the  true  end  of  existence.     He  had  no  self- 
respect,  no  sources  of  enjoyir  ent,  in  his  own  bosom. 

34 


272  FAGGOTS    FOR     THE    FIRESIDE. 

He  was  rich  in  cash,  but  poor,  miserably  poor,  in 
the  treasures  of  the  soul. 

And  I  am  sorry  to  add,  that  Mr.  Hard  grew  no 
better  as  time  advanced.  He  grew  more  rich,  but, 
at  the  same  time,  more  selfish  and  more  hard-heart 
ed.  And  his  son,  poor  Benjamin,  what  of  him? 
After  two  years  of  absence,  he  arrived  at  the  city 
of  his  birth.  He  had  lived  a  dissipated  life,  and  his 
health  now  began  to  give  way.  Just  before  his 
arrival,  he  had  suffered  from  fever,  and  as  he  came 
ashore,  he  was  weak  and  could  scarcely  walk.  But 
repentance  had  entered  into  his  heart.  Fully  aware 
of  his  errors  and  follies,  he  said  to  himself,  "  I  will 
arise  and  go  to  my  father,  and  I  will  ask  his  forgive 
ness,  and  I  will  hereafter  lead  a  life  of  virtue.  " 

He  went  ashore  with  these  feelings,  and  he 
wrote  a  letter  to  his  father,  to  prepare  the  way  for 
his  return.  He  then  went  into  the  street  to  put  the 
letter  in  the  post-office.  Having  done  this,  he  set 
out  to  return ;  but  he  became  faint,  and  found  mo 
mentary  shelter  beneath  a  pile  of  boards.  It  was 
bitter  cold,  and  he  was  chilled  to  the  heart ;  he  felt 
that  he  should  die,  unless  he  could  have  immediate 
help.  He  saw  a  person  coming  along  the  street, 


THE    RICH    MAN    AND    HIS    SON.  373 

and,  with  a  desperate  effort,  he  said,  "F  or  heaven's 
sake,  sir,  give  me  help !  "  The  man  looked  at  him 
a  moment,  and  passed  coldly  on.  He  heeded  not 
the  call  of  the  sufferer.  As  he  went  away,  the  youth 
discovered  that  it  was  his  father.  His  emotions 
overwhelmed  him — he  sank  down  upon  the  earth — 
the  snow  fell,  and  covered  him  in  a  winding-sheet. 

In  the  morning,  the  letter  was  received  from  the 
post-office  by  the  father.  He  read  it;  his  heart  was 
softened,  and  he  was  ready  to  receive  his  prodigal 
son.  But  ere  night  came,  he  learned  that  his  son 
was  found  beneath  a  heap  of  boards,  wrapped  in 
snow,  and  cold  as  the  pillow  on  which  he  lay. 

And  the  father  knew  that  it  was  his  own  son  who 
had  begged  for  help,  in  a  moment  of  extremity,  and 
the  father  had  not  given  it! 

Can  Mr.  Hard  ever  be  a  happy  man?  Never.  Of 
what  value  is  wealth  to  the  hardhearted  and  self-con 
demned?  Let  us  not  envy  those  who  are  rich  without 
virtue ;  those  who  have  only  money,  and  no  goodness, 
charity,  or  liberality.  They  are  all  members  of  the 
Hard  family ;  and  whatever  cover  they  may  wear, 
they  are  still  objects  of  pity  or  contempt. 


274  FAGGOTS     FOR    THE    FIRESIDE. 

And  let  us  remember  another  thing.  A  single 
act  of  kindness  may  save  a  life;  and  even  if  those  who 
claim  our  pity  or  our  help  are  not  our  children,  still 
they  are  children  of  somebody.  They  belong  to  the 
great  family  of  man,  and  are  our  kindred.  Let  us 
think  of  these  things,  and,  rich  or  poor,  beware  of 
that  cold  habit  of  turning  a  deaf  ear  to  the  cry  of 
suffering  and  sorrow ,  which  the  hard-hearted  world 
is  apt  to  cherish. 


FLINT    AND    STEEL 


Would  you  like,  gentle  reader,  to  see  two  Boston 
Boys,  as  they  were  in  the  days  of  the  Revolution, 
almost  a  hundred  years  ago?  Of  course  you  would, 
and  I  wish  I  had  their  portraits,  to  show  you,  but 
as  I  have  not,  I  can  only  tell  you  how  they  talked, 
how  they  acted,  and  how  they  felt.  In  this  way  I  can 
give  a  pretty  good  idea  of  them. 

Every  story  has  its  beginning,  and  ours  begins  at 
Cambridge ,  about  four  miles  north-east  of  Boston. 
If  you  have  not  seen  this  place,  I  commend  it  to 
you  to  go  there  as  soon  as  possible;  for  it  is  a  very 
pleasant  city,  and  many  interesting  things  are  to  be 
seen  there.  In  the  first  place,  there  are  the  college 
buildings,  of  which  there  are  six  or  eight,  and  some 


276  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

of  them  are  handsome.  The  library  is  considered  a 
fine  edifice,  and  it  has  books  enough  to  keep  a  man 
reading  all  his  lifetime,  even  if  he  lived  as  long  as 
Methusaleh.  And  all  these  college  buildings  are 
situated  in  the  midst  of  shady  trees,  and  are  sur 
rounded  by  a  bright  green  lawn,  where  you  may  see 
the  students  playing  or  walking,  when  not  engaged 
in  their  studies. 

And  then  the  college  buildings  are  enclosed  by  very 
handsome  squares  and  streets,  and  the  sidewalks 
everywhere  have  a  most  inviting  look.  If  you  fol 
low  one  of  these  sidewalks  which  leads  to  the  west 
side  of  the  city,  you  will  come  to  a  large  house, 
which  has  in  its  aspect  a  very  agreeable  mixture  of  the 
olden  and  the  modem  time.  It  is  well  painted  and 
in  excellent  repair.  The  fences  all  around  are 
substantial,  and  in  perfect  order.  There  is  a  small 
yard  in  front  of  the  house,  and  here  are  a  few  trees 
and  shrubs  and  flowers.  Near  by  is  a  handsome 
garden. 

Every  one  who  passes  this  house,  looks  at  it  with 
interest,  because  it  appears  so  respectable,  so 
comfortable  and  so  ancient.  It  is  evident  that  it  has 
been  built  near  a  hundred  years,  which  is  a  very 


FLINT    AND    STEEL. 


-277 


long  time  in  the  swift  annals  of  our  young  America  ; 
and  more  than  this,  it  has  had  excellent  keeping. 
All  around,  the  dwellings  appear  to  be  new,  or  at 
least  modern,  in  comparison  with  this  stately  house 
of  which  I  am  speaking.  It  is  clear  that  other  houses 
have  formerly  stood  beside  it,  and  have  gone  to  decay 
and  given  place  to  others,  while  this  remains. 

And  so  it  is  a  very  interesting  building,  merely  on 
account  of  its  looks  :  but  I  have  something  more  to 
say  about  it.  We  must  go  back  a  great  while-  to 
the  year  1775,  at  which  time  the  war  with  England 
had  juts  broken  out — and  imagine  ourselves  here, 
in  front  of  this  same  building.  It  was  standing 
then,  and,  I  suppose,  had  the  same  form  and  di 
mensions  that  it  has  now.  We  must  suppose  it  to 
be  the  second  day  of  July,  the  weather  being  hot 
and  the  sun  shining  very  brightly.  At  a  short  dis 
tance,  in  the  street,  was  a  row  of  elms,  and  at  the 
time  of  which  we  speak,  some  hundreds  of  people 
were  standing  or  reclining  beneath  these  trees.  In 
front  and  in  the  road,  was  along  line  of  men,  dressed 
in  every  variety  of  country  costume,  with  guns  in 
their  hands  :  they  were  commanded  by  officers, 
some  of  whom  had  on  regular  military  dresses. 


278  FAGGOTS     FOR    THE     FIRESIDE. 

Every  one  seemed  to  be  waiting  rather  impatiently 
for  something,  and  all  turned  their  eyes  along  the 
Brighton  road,  as  if  they  anxiously  expected  some 
body  to  come  from  that  direction.  We  may  as  well 
say  that  they  were  waiting  to  see  General  Washington 
who  was  about  to  arrive  and  take  command  of  the 
American  army  then  assembled  around  Boston ;  that 
city  being  in  the  possession  of  the  British  under  Gen 
eral  Gage.  At  this  point  of  time,  two  youths  were 
sitting  side  by  side  in  the  fork  of  a  large  old  cherry 
tree,  in  the  midst  of  the  scene.  They  had  a  fine 
view  of  all  that  was  going  on,  and,  at  the  same  time, 
they  could  talk  themselves  without  being  overheard. 
The  conversation  between  these  two,  as  nearly  as  we 
recollect,  was  as  follows  : 

Jerry  Flint.  I  say,  Ben,  how  did  you  get  clear  of 
the  red  coats  at  Boston  this  morning? 

Ben  Steel.  Bah! — I  asked  'em  to  let  me  go  a- 
fishing;  they  said  nothing,  so  I  got  into  my  boat  and 
sculled  over  here  to  see  the  show. 

Jerry.  It's  too  bad,  ain't  it,  for  Gen.  Gage  and 
his  rascally  soldiers  to  keep  Boston  all  to  themselves, 
and  shut  the  people  up  there,  as  if  they  were  a  herd 
of  cattle? 


FLINT    AND    STEEL.  279 

Ben.  Yes — it's  too  bad,  indeed;  but  I  expect 
we'll  drive  'em  out  soon. 

Jerry.  How?  They  say  there's  ten  thousand 
men  there. 

Ben.  Yes — but  there  are  fifteen  thousand  in 
Cambridge,  and  Charlestown,  and  Roxbury. 

Jerry.  I  know  that ;  but  the  British  are  so  well 
armed.  Their  guns  and  swords  shine  like  the  blade 
of  a  new  penknife.  And  they,  march  so  finely !  They 
know  all  about  war,  while  our  people  come  down 
from  the  country,  with  their  long-tailed,  linsey- 
woolsey  coats  and  skunk-skin  caps,  looking  for  all 
the  world  as  if  they  were  dressed  up  for  a  farce-play. 
You  remember  the  day  of  the  battle  of  Lexington  : 
well,  when  the  British  troops  passed  by  here  in  the 
morning,  I  ran  behind,  just  to  see  what  was  going  on. 
I  trotted  along,  and  followed  clear  up  to  Lexington. 
Well,  when  we  got  to  the  meeting  house,  we 
found  some  men  there,  Americans,  who  pretended 
to  be  militia.  There  wasn't  one  of  'em  who  had  a 
soldier's  dress  on,  and  the  captain  himself  wore  a 
butternut  colored  coat,  with  leather  breeches.  I 
was  right  along  side  of  Major  Pitcairn,  who  was 

splendidly  dressed,  and  mounted  on  a  fine  black 

35 


280  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

horse.  When  he  saw  the  rebels,  as  he  called  'em, 
I  thought  he  would  split  his  sides  with  laughing.  I 
really  felt  a  sort  of  shame  to  see  the  poor  figure  we 
cut  along  side  of  the  British. 

Ben.     Was  you  up  to  Lexington? 

Jerry.     To  be  sure  I  was ! 

Ben.  Well,  I  was  there  too.  I  knew  eight  hun 
dred  men  had  marched  out  of  Boston  toward  eve 
ning,  and  the  next  morning  I  set  off  after  them. 
Father  told  me  he  expected  they  were  going  to  de 
stroy  the  powder  and  other  things  at  Concord.  I 
knew  something  about  all  that,  for  father  and  I  had 
loaded  seven  waggons  with  powder,  bullets,  and  can 
non  ball,  covered  'em  over  with  manure,  and  taken 
'em  to  Concord.  I  had  driven  the  team  up  three 
times  myself. 

Jerry.     Who  told  you  to  do  that? 

Ben.  Do  you  expect  I'm  going  to  tell  secrets? 
Mum's  the  word,  Jerry,  in  Boston,  among  the  Sons  of 
Liberty.  However,  I  tell  you  that  there  are  men  at 
work  there,  day  and  night,  right  under  old  Gage's 
nose,  and  he  don't  smell  the  rat — a  miserable  old 
puss  that  he  is. 

Jerry.     Well,  but  what  did  you  do  at  Lexington? 


FLINT    AND    STEEL.  281 

Ben.  0,  Pitcairn  fired  his  pistol  at  the  men  near 
the  meeting-house,  and  the  soldiers  fired  too.  Sev 
en  were  killed  and  almost  every  body  was  fright 
ened  and  ran  away.  I  said  to  myself,  "  'faint  all 
over  yet ; "  so  I  kept  a  good  distance,  and  followed 
the  red  coats  on  to  Concord.  Pitcairn  thought  it 
was  a  nice  frolic,  but  by  and  by,  the  tune  changed. 
The  Americans,  in  spite  of  their  long-tailed  coats, 
had  good  lead  and  a  straight  aim.  Their  rusty  old 
firelocks  spit  the  bullets  in  the  faces  of  his  majesty's 
troops,  in  a  most  impudent  fashion.  They  kept  be 
hind  the  fences,  and  trees,  and  houses,  and  all  that 
the  British  could  do  was  to  trot  toward  Boston,  their 
men  and  officers  dropping  down  along  the  road  by 
hundreds.  I  was  hid  in  the  joint  of  a  rail  fence , 
right  in  the  midst  of  it,  when  Pitcairn  came  riding 
by,  puffing,  and  sweating,  and  swearing,  in  a  terri 
ble  fashion.  I  got  right  up — for  I  couldn't  help  it, 
and  said  to  him — "  So,  Major,  you've  got  into  a  hor 
net's  nest,  I  guess."  "You  young  dog,"  said  he, 
"  take  that,"  at  the  same  time  he  fired  his  pistol  at 
me.  I  dodged ,  and  the  bullet  stuck  in  the  rail 
over  rny  head.  I  cut  it  out  with  my  penknife,  and 
here  it  is! 


282 


FAGGOTS    FOR    THE     FIRESIDE. 


Jerry.  What  a  harum-scarum  rogue  you  are, 
Ben  !  And  is  this  really  the  bullet  old  Pitcairn  fired 
at  you?  The  thief! 

Ben.  Well — that  wasn't  all;  I  kept  along  with 
the  British,  and  late  at  night  I  got  back  to  Boston. 
They  staid  here ,  at  Cambridge.  If  Lord  Percy 
hadn't  come  out  to  their  rescue,  Pitcairn's  whole 
troop  would  have  been  cut  to  pieces,  and  that  too, 
by  these  very  fellows  with  longtailed  coats,  and 
leather  breeches,  armed  only  with  rusty  old  firelocks. 
As  it  was,  they  killed  and  wounded  four  hundred 
of  the  red  coats.  I  guess  the  laugh  is  on  t'other  side 
now. 

Jerry.  Why  do  you  suppose,  Ben,  that  the  Amer 
icans  can  stand  up  against  the  British  —  against  the 
King,  and  the  Parliament,  and  all  that? 

Ben.  At  any  rate  they'll  try.  Didn't  we  whip  'em 
at  Bunker  Hill? 

Jerry.     No  —  we  had  to  retreat. 

Ben.  After  killing  four  of  their  men  to  one  of 
ours,  and  we  only  had  to  give  out,  because  our 
powder  fell  short.  If  it  hadn't  been  for  that,  we 
would  have  driven  Lord  Howe  back  to  Boston,  and 
played  the  rogue's  march  at  his  heels.  I  tell  you,  Jer- 


FLINT    AND     STEEL.  283 

ry,  we'll  beat 'em,  and  for  two  good  reasons  :  in  the 
first  place,  this  country  is  ours,  and  was  meant  for 
us  by  the  Almighty,  and  he  will  take  our  part.  Our 
people  pray,  and  these  rascally  red  coats  only  swear, 
and  take  the  name  of  the  Lord  in  vain;  and  do  you 
expect  he  is  going  to  put  down  his  friends  and  set 
up  his  enemies?  And,  beside  all  that,  father  says 
that  this  General  Washington  who  is  coming  here 
to-day,  will  teach  our  people  to  fight,  and  that,  in 
less  than  six  months,  Boston  will  be  cleared  of  these 
robbers. 

Jerry.  Well,  I  hope  it  may  be  so;  but  my  father 
says  he's  terribly  'fraid  that  we  shall  be  all  cut  to 
pieces. 

Ben.     Well,  what  does  your  mother  say? 

Jerry.     Oh,  she  goes  in  for  fighting. 

Ben.     She's  not  afraid,  then? 

Jerry.  I  guess  not.  Why,  don't  you  know  she 
came  from  Pomfret,  where  Old  Put  lived? 

Ben.  No  — did  she?  Did  she  know  Old  Put? 
Did  she  ever  see  the  hole  where  he  killed  the  wolf? 

Jerry.  To  be  sure  she  did  :  I've  heard  her  tell 
the  story  forty  times.  You'd  have  thought  she  was 
there,  and  had  seen  it  all  —  she  tells  it  so  well. 


284  FAGGOTS    FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

Ben.  How  I  wish  I  had  been  there !  Let  me 
tell  you  one  thing,  Jerry.  I'm  determined  to  go  to 
Pomfret  and  see  that  very  cave  where  Put  killed  the 
wolf.  I  shouldn't  die  easy  without  having  seen  it. 

Jerry.     Well,  I'll  go  with  you. 

Ben.     When?     When? 

Jernj.     Next  month! 

Ben.     Agreed ! 

Jerry.  Agreed;  but  hark! — what  a  shout  they 
are  making.  See  yonder!  Oh,  it's  General  Wash 
ington!  He  is  coming,  he  is  coming! 

We  must  now  permit  our  two  boys  to  get  down 
from  the  cherry  tree,  and  scamper  away  with  the 
crowd,  to  see  General  Washington,  who  very  soon 
arrived,  and  wras  received  by  the  troops.  After  a 
time  he  retired  to  the  very  house  we  have  been  de 
scribing,  and  for  more  than  a  year  it  was  his  head 
quarters.  On  this  account  the  building  has  a 
historical  interest,  and  every  stranger  who  visits 
Cambridge  desires  to  see  it. 

If  any  of  my  young  readers,  excited  by  this  brief 
account,  should  go  there,  and  desire  to  see  the  in 
terior  of  the  building,  I  have  no  doubt  they  will  be 
permitted  to  do  so.  The  person  who  now  owns  and 


FLINT     AND    STEEL.  285 

inhabits  it,  is  an  amiable  gentleman,  and  at  the 
same  time  very  celebrated.  He  is  not  famous,  like 
Washington,  by  msans  of  the  sword,  but  by  means 
of  a  much  humbler  tool  —  the  pen.  He  has  written 
many  beautiful  poems,  that  have  given  pleasure  to 
millions  of  minds,  and  cherished  a  love  of  truth  and 
virtue  in  millions  of  hearts.  You  need  only  ring 
the  bell,  and  when  somebody  comes,  you  will  in 
quire  for  Mr.  Longfellow,  for  that  is  the  name  of  the 
gentleman  I  allude  to.  If  he  ask  who  sent  you,  you 
may  say  I  did. 

But  I  have  not  yet  done  with  Jerry  Flint  and  Ben 
Steel.  In  the  dialogue  which  you  have  just  read,  they 
agreed  to  go  to  Pomfret  the  next  month ,  to  see  the 
place  where  General  Putnam  killed  the  wolf,  and 
this  arrangement  they  actually  fulfilled.  I  must  tell 
you  about  it;  for,  as  I  said,  I  wish  to  give  you  some 
idea  of  the  Boston  boys,  in  the  stirring  times  of  the 
Revolution. 

Now  you  must  know  that  Ben  Steel  was  the  son 
of  a  waggoner  in  Boston,  who  got  his  living  by  car 
rying  loads  of  various  kinds  from  one  place  to  another; 
while  Jerry  Flint  was  the  son  of  a  blacksmith  also 
living  in  Boston. 


286  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

They  had  been  educated  in  the  town  schools,  and 
not  only  knew  how  to  read  and  write  and  cypher, 
but  they  had  learned  something  about  history  and 
geography/They  had  read  about  the  early  settlement 
of  the  country,  and  how  the  people  of  New  England, 
in  those  ancient  days,  had  suffered  from  the  Indians 
and  wild  beasts.  They  had  read  about  the  wars  with 
the  French  and  Indians,  which  began  in  1754  and 
ended  in  1763.  They  had  read  about  General  Put 
nam,  who  lived  at  Pomfret,  in  Connecticut,  and 
fought  in  the  French  and  Indian  wars,  slew  a  fa 
mous  wolf  and  performed  other  wonderful  exploits, 
so  that  he  was  almost  as  celebrated  in  those  parts  as 
Hercules  was  in  ancient  Greece. 

And  thus,  these  boys  had  a  great  deal  of  know 
ledge,  especially  about  their  own  country.  The  days 
in  which  they  lived  were  days  of  excitement,  for  the 
great  war  had  just  begun,  and  every  body  shared  in 
the  stirring  influence  of  those  events.  The  men,  the 
women,  and  the  children  read ,  thought  and  talked 
about  the  war;  and  so  we  see  that  our  two  Boston 
boys,  Flint  and  Steel,  when  they  heard  that  General 
Washington  was  coming  to  take  command  of  the 
army  at  Cambridge,  were  among  the  crowd.  We  see 


FLINT    AND    STEEL.  287 

also  that  their  minds  and  their  conversation  turned 
upon  the  battles  of  Lexington  and  Bunker  Hill,  which 
had  just  taken  place,  and  that  Old  Put  and  the  wolf 
story  were  thus  brought  to  mind.  One  of  the  boys, 
as  we  have  seen,  proposed  to  go  and  visit  the  place 
where  this  adventure  took  place,  and  the  other 
agreed  to  go  with  him.  This  may  sound  strange  to 
boys  of  our  day ;  but  you  must  remember  that  our 
youthful  heroes  lived  in  times  very  different,  in  many 
respects,  from  our  own. 

After  some  weeks,  they  obtained  the  consent  of  their 
parents,  and  being  each  supplied  with  a  wallet  of 
bread,  some  sausages  and  about  half  a  dollar  in 
money,  they  set  out.  Each  carried  a  bow  and  a 
quiver  of  arrows,  and  they  were  attended  by  an 
active  and  intelligent  terrier-dog,  named  Spot. 

The  two  boys  felt  very  large  as  they  set  forth, 
for  not  only  is  youthful  imagination  apt  to  exag 
gerate  every  thing,  but  they  were  going  to  see 
Put's  Cave,  which  to  them  was  equal  to  the  temple 
of  the  Philistines  pulled  down  by  Samson,  They 
took  their  way  through  Dedham,  and  had  a  great 
time  along  the  road,  for  Spot  was  all  alive  for  a  hunt. 
He  kept  constantly  leaping  over  the  fences  and  scour- 


288  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

ing  the  thickets.  He  gave  chase  to  every  squirrel  that 
peeped  from  the  stone  walls,  scampered  along  the 
road  side,  or  chattered  from  the  branches  of  the  over 
hanging  trees. 

At  evening  they  had  reached  the  beautiful  village 
of  Medfield  ,  having  travelled  fifteen  miles  —  a  good 
journey  for  the  first  day.  As  they  were  passing  along 
through  the  street,  they  saw  a  large  brown  house, 
with  three  spreading  elms  before  it.  As  it  looked 
like  a  very  comfortable  place,  they  went  to  the  back 
door  and  enquired  who  lived  there.  Being  told  that 
it  was  Parson  Saunders,  they  asked  to  see  him. 

Pretty  soon  an  old  man  came  to  the  door,  and  the 
boys  told  him  their  story.  He  received  them  very 
kindly,  and  gave  them  a  good  supper.  When  this 
was  done,  he  talked  with  them  very  pleasantly ;  after 
that  the  family  were  all  called  in ,  and  they  knelt 
down.  The  old  man  prayed;  he  prayed  for  the 
members  of  his  family,  and  asked  the  Lord  to  bless 
them  in  life,  in  death,  and  in  eternity.  He  prayed 
for  the  two  youths  providentially  under  his  roof,  and 
asked  that  they  might  be  guided  on  their  way,  and 
returned  in  safety  to  their  parents.  He  prayed  for 
the  flock  over  which  he  was  set  as  a  pastor;  he  prayed 


FLINT   AND    STEEL.  289 

for  the  town,  the  State  and  the  whole  country.  Here 
his  voice  faltered ,  his  lips  trembled ,  and  his  tones 
for  an  instant  seemed  choked.  Then  his  words  flowed 
in  deep,  touching  cadences.  "Oh!  Lord  of  hosts, " 
said  he,  "  we  thank  thee  that  the  race  is  not  always 
to  the  swift,  nor  the  battle  to  the  strong!  With  Thee 
right  is  might.  Have  mercy  then  upon  this  land, 
this  land  injured,  wronged,  and  now  bleeding 
beneath  the  heel  of  the  oppressor  !  Take  part  with 
thy  people  in  this  their  dark  hour  !  Turn  the  heart 
of  the  proud  king  and  the  haughty  parliament  to  peace 
and  justice  !  Yet  if  they  should  harden  their  hearts, 
and  if  they  will  not  stay  their  hand,  may  the  wheel  of 
battle  pass  over  these  men  of  blood;  may  the  waters 
cover  them  as  they  covered  Pharaoh  and  his  host !  " 
After  the  prayer  was  done,  the  boys  were  con 
ducted  to  a  good  bed,  though  it  was  in  a  small  room 
without  plaster  or  paint.  The  next  morning  they  were 
awakened  by  the  noise  of  a  drum,  and  upon  going  into 
the  street,  they  saw  a  company  of  soldiers  consisting 
of  people  of  the  village  preparing  to  go  to  Boston,  to 
join  Washington  and  the  American  army.  They 
were  farmers,  mechanics  and  tradesmen  with  their 
sons,  shoulder  to  shoulder,  going  to  the  defence  of 


290  FAGGOTS     FOR    THE     FIRESIDE. 

their  country.  Wives ,  mothers,  sisters  were  there, 
furnishing  their  friends  with  needful  articles ,  saying 
farewell,  and  amid  tears  and  caresses,  giving  words  of 
confidence  and  encouragement.  When  all  were  drawn 
up,  a  roll  of  the  drum  commanded  silence;  the  good 
Parson  Saunders  invoked  upon  them  the  blessing  of 
heaven,  and  they  departed  on  their  way.  At  the  same 
time  our  two  boys  taking  the  opposite  direction,  pro 
ceeded  on  their  journey. 

The  weather  was  very  bright,  warm  and  pleasant, 
and  as  the  travellers  entered  the  woods,  about  six 
miles  from  Medfield,  the  birds  and  the  squirrels 
seemed  to  be  enjoying  a  kind  of  holiday.  It  was  the 
beginning  of  October,  that  most  charming  season  of 
our  New  England  climate,  The  early  frosts  had 
just  touched  the  leaves  of  the  trees,  and  the  forest 
was  all  glowing  in  yellow,  red  and  purple.  The 
birds  had  reared  their  families,  and  now  the  old 
and  the  young  were  joyously  glancing  from  tree 
to  tree,  singing  merry  songs  or  revelling  in  the 
harvest  of  seeds  and  insects.  The  squirrels  were 
all  alive ;  some  were  sitting  aloft  in  the  limbs  of  the 
trees  with  their  tails  over  their  backs,  eating  nuts. 
The  little  striped  squirrels  were  gliding  about  on  the 


FLINT  AND    STEEL.  291 

ground  and  filling  their  cheek-pouches  with  hazel- 
nuts,  or  beech-nuts  or  chesnuts,  which  they  deposited 
in  their  holes  as  a  supply  for  the  winter. 

When  the  boys  found  themselves  in  the  midst  of 
these  scenes,  they  strung  their  bows  and  let  fly  their 
arrows.  They  did  little  execution,  however,  and 
after  a  hunt  of  five  hours  their  entire  game  consisted 
of  a  striped  squirrel,  a  cat  bird  and  two  red-thrushes. 
Just  as  they  were  about  to  quit  the  woods  and 
pursue  their  journey,  they  saw  a  gray  squirrel, 
bounding  in  long  leaps,  upon  the  ground.  This  is  a 
beautiful  animal,  and  when  seen  in  his  native  forests, 
his  tail  like  a  banner  streaming  in  the  wind,  he  is  a 
very  striking  object.  The  boys  gave  chase  and  the 
squirrel  ascended  a  large  oak  tree.  At  the  distance 
of  about  thirty  feet  there  was  a  hole  in  the  trunk,  and 
both  boys  thought  he  entered  it. 

Jerry  immediately  took  off  his  coat  and  shoes  and 
stockings,  and  ascended  the  tree.  Very  soon  he 
reached  the  hole  and  thrust  his  hand  in  to  catch  the 
squirrel.  It  was  very  deep,  but  at  length  he  ex 
claimed,  "  I've  got  him!  "  He  then  pulled  out  his 
hand;  but  behold ,  instead  of  a  squirrel  he  had  caught 
a  black  snake !  For  a  moment  Jerry  thought  of 


292  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

leaping  to  the  ground,  and  Ben,  seeing  what  he  had 
got,  cried  out :  "  Jump,  Jerry,  Jump!  "  Fortunately 
the  boy  had  too  much  presence  of  mind,  so  he  shook 
off  the  snake,  though  the  fellow  had  coiled  close 
around  his  arm.  The  creature  fell  to  the  ground,  and 
being  very  active,  disappeared  in  the  bushes  before 
Ben  had  time  to  despatch  him.  Jerry  descended, 
quietly  observing  to  his  companion  :  "  Afore  you 
put  your  hand  into  a  hole,  Ben,  always  take  a  look 
and  see  what 's  there !  " 

They  now  left  the  forest,  and  proceeding  on  their 
journey,  they  reached  \Yoodstock  just  at  evening. 
As  they  came  to  the  little  plain  on  which  the  meeting 
house  stood,  they  noticed  a  new  house  painted  red,  by 
the  street  side.  Here  they  knocked  and  a  severe 
looking  man,  with  a  bald  pate,  came  to  the  door. 
They  asked  for  lodging  and  he  went  to  ask  his  wife 
about  it.  Pretty  soon  he  came  back  with  his  wife, 
followed  by  six  children,  boys  and  girls  all  the  way 
from  seven  to  fourteen  years  old.  As  if  to  make  up 
for  the  old  man's  want  of  hair,  they  each  seemed  to 
have  a  half  bushel  of  light  yellow  curls  turned  and 
touzelled  in  every  direction. 

After  a  long  examination  of  our  two  heroes,  it  was 


FLINT    AND    STEEL.  293 

agreed  that  they  should  be  received  hospitably. 
Their  host  was  the  shoemaker  of  the  town,  and  though 
a  little  sour  in  aspect,  he  was  a  good  fellow.  The 
supper  of  the  children  consisted  of  bread  and  milk, 
with  peaches  crumbed  in.  To  this  was  added  some 
hot  hasty-pudding,  well  buttered  and  sauced  with 
molasses.  The  finish  consisted  of  a  dish  of  apple 
sauce,  to  each.  Before  and  after  the  meal,  the 
shoemaker  said  a  long  grace. 

Our  two  boys  were  put  into  the  bed  of  the  two 
elder  sons  of  their  host,  who  cheerfully  turned  out 
and  slept  on  a  blanket  by  the  side  of  their  visitors. 
They  all  had  a  talk  together  about  Putnam  and  the 
wolf  and  a  great  many  other  things,  and  finally  they 
fell  asleep. 

In  good  season  the  next  day,  our  travellers  were 
on  their  road,  and  late  in  the  afternoon  they  came  to 
a  farm-house  standing  a  little  back  in  a  field.  Here 
they  saw  a  man  ploughing,  and  going  to  him  they 
told  him  that  they  were  on  their  way  to  see  Old  Put's 
Cave,  and  as  it  was  now  near  sunset,  they  wished 
to  know  if  they  could  have  lodging  in  the  house. 
The  man  was  rather  thick-set  and  red-faced,  with 
a  bullet  head  and  short  neck;  yet  he  had  a  blue  eye 


294  FAGGOTS    FOR     THE    FIRESIDE. 

full  of  good  humour,  and  when  the  boys  told  him 
their  story,  it  twinkled  with  fun.  He  spoke  to  them 
kindly,  told  them  to  go  to  the  house  and  wait  for 
him;  he  should  soon  unyoke  his  cattle,  and  would 
then  go  there  to  give  directions  as  to  their  reception. 

Here  they  spent  the  night,  and  the  next  morning, 
the  man  hitched  a  pair  of  fine  horses  to  a  waggon, 
and  took  in  the  two  boys;  after  a  drive  of  a  couple  of 
miles,  they  came  to  a  rugged  hill  side,  where  huge 
rocks  lay  piled  one  upon  another.  In  the  face  of  these 
was  a  yawning  chasm,  two  or  three  feet  in  width,  and 
reaching  to  such  a  depth  as  to  exclude  every  ray  of 
light.  To  this  the  man  pointed  and  said, <fc  there  is 
Old  Put's  Cave!" 

The  boys  gazed  in  and  around  for  a  long  time. 
At  last,  drawing  a  full  breath,  Jerry  said  to  the  stran 
ger  :  "  The  story  is  true  then,— Old  Put  really  did 
kill  the  wolf,  as  the  book  says?  " 

"  Yes",  was  the  reply. 

"  Arid  this  is  really  the  very  spot?" 

"Yes." 

"  And  was  you  here  when  Old  Put  killed  the 
wolf?  " 

"  I  was." 


FLINT    AND    STEEL. 


295 


"  And  did  you  see  him  do  it?  " 

"  I  did.  " 

"Oh,  that  I  had  been  there!  It  must  have 
been  a  great  time.  We  have  no  wolves  now.  Ben 
and  I  have  come  all  the  way  from  Boston ,  and  we 
have  seen  nothing  bigger  than  a  gray  squirrel." 

"  It  was  very  different  when  I  was  a  boy,  near 
forty  years  ago,  "  was  the  reply.  "  Wolves,  foxes, 
raccoons  and  even  bears  were  in  the  woods  then. 
Wolves  were  so  common  that  in  the  midwinter  they 
would  sometimes  come  prowling  around  the  houses  at 
night,  and  even  attack  travellers,  if  they  chanced  to 
meet  them  in  the  woods.  They  beset  the  sheep  in 
the  fields ,  and  often  came  to  the  barn-yard  after 
them.  The  she-wolf  that  Old  Put  killed,  is  supposed 
to  have  slaughtered  over  a  hundred  sheep  in  Pomfret, 
Woodstock,  and  the  neighboring  towns.  She  was 
ofter  seen,  and  being  long,  lank  and  shaggy,  almost 
every  body  knew  her.  She  was  at  once  very  bold 
and  very  cunning. 

"  On  one  occasion  two  boys  were  driving  a  sleigh 
through  the  woods  between  here  and  Woodstock, 
when  they  heard  a  howling  behind  them ;  they  looked 
back  and  saw  three  wolves  pursuing  them.  They 

37 


296  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

whipped  up  as  fast  as  they  could,  but  the  hungry 
brutes  kept  at  their  side,  and  threatened  to  jump  into 
the  sleigh.  The  famous  she-wolf  was  one  of  them; 
she  got  right  in  front  and  tried  to  seize  the  horse 
by  the  nose.  However  the  boys  slashed  away  with 
their  whip  and  gave  them  such  severe  cuts,  they  were 
glad  to  keep  out  of  their  way.  After  a  chase  of  two 
miles  they  came  to  the  village,  where  the  wolves 
thought  it  best  to  quit." 

'  Well,  those  were  brave  boys;   I  should  not 
wonder  if  one  of  them  was  Old  Put." 
66 1  believe  he  was  one  of  them." 
"I  thought  so,  and  I  guess  t'other  was  one  of 
the  Put  family.    Well,  I  have  got  half  a  dollar,  and 
that  is  all  the  money  I  have,  but  I'd  give  that  and 
ten  times  more  if  I  had  it,  just  to  get  a  look  at 
the  old  fellow." 

"  They  say  he  has  just  been  to  Boston." 
"  Yes,  he  has  been  to  Boston,  and  he  and  Wash 
ington  are  going  to  get  up  a  plan  for  driving  Gage  and 
his  ten  thousand  red  coats  to  Halifax;  but  just  now 
they  say  he  is  at  his  house  here  at  Pomfret,  arrang 
ing  his  farm,  so  that  he  may  be  absent  for -the  war." 
The  stranger  only  nodded  his  head  in  reply.   After 


FLINT    AND    STEEL.  297 

a  stay  of  an  hour  in  which  both  Jerry  and  Ben  insisted 
on  creeping  to  the  bottom  of  the  cave,  and  seeing 
how  Putnam  put  his  gun  to  the  nose  of  the  wolf  and 
fired,  and  how  he  kicked  his  legs  and  was  drawn 
out  by  the  heels,  and  how  the  wolf  was  found  dead — 
after  all  this,  the  party  entered  the  waggon  and  they 
returned  to  the  house. 

As  the  two  boys  were  about  to  depart,  the  stranger 
put  a  letter  into  their  hands,  addressed  to  "  George 
Washington,  Commander  in  chief  of  the  American 
Army,  Cambridge."  He  then  asked  them  if  they 
would  deliver  it  speedily.  They  promised  to  hasten 
back  as  fast  as  possible,  and  faithfully  to  execute 
the  commission.  But  as  they  were  about  to  depart, 
the  stranger  said  : 

"  Suppose  you  were  to  fall  into  General  Gage's 
hands,  what  would  you  do  with  the  letter?" 

"  Would  you  like  us  to  give  it  to  him?"  said  Jerry, 
with  a  cunning  look. 

66  On  the  contrary,"  said  the  stranger;  "  it  must  be 
read  only  by  the  person  to  whom  it  is  addressed." 

66  Never  fear  then,"  said  Jerry;  and  as  he  was 
about  to  depart,  he  observed  —  "  when  you  see  Old 


298  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

Put,  give  him  that  :  it's  only  two  half  dollars,  but  it 
is  all  Ben  and  I  have  got.  If  it  was  fifty  times  as  much 
he  might  have  it." 

"What  shall  I  tell  him  it's  for?  " 

"Oh!  it's  to  help  along  the  war.  Father  and 
mother  say  that  the  country  is  desperate  poor,  and 
the  king  of  England  is  rich  as  a  Jew.  Every  little 
helps  some,  as  widow  Mite  said  when  she  put  a 
copper  into  the  charity  box.  All  the  boys  and  girls  in 
Boston  have  given  up  eating  sugar  plums,  so  that  their 
coppers  may  buy  powder  for  Washington  and  Put." 

The  blue  eye  of  the  stranger  filled  with  tears,  for 
a  moment.  He  then  replied  :  "  No,  my  boys,  I  will 
not  take  your  money.  You  need  it  for  your  journey.  " 

"There  you're  mistaken,"  said  Jerry.  "We  have 
come  here  without  spending  a  penny  on  the  way. 
Nobody  asks  us  for  money — we  can  get  back  as  we 
came." 

"  Well,  well,"  said  the  stranger.  "  As  you  desire 
it,  I  will  see  that  General  Putnam  receives  the 
money.  It  will  at  least  serve  to  cheer  his  heart,  as 
it  testifies  the  depth  and  sincerity  and  devotion,  with 
which  the  people  enter  into  this  fearful  struggle."  He 
then  asked  for  the  letter.  This  he  took,  added  a 


FLINT   AND    STEEL.  299 

hasty  postscript  and  handed  it  back,  saying  :  "  God 
bless  you,  my  boys!     Farewell!  " 

We  shall  not  enter  into  the  details  of  the  home 
ward  journey  of  our  two  friends.  Influenced  by 
the  wishes  of  the  stranger,  and  having  an  impression 
that  their  message  to  General  Washington  was  im 
portant,  they  returned  more  rapidly  than  they  came. 
Just  at  evening,  on  the  fourth  day,  they  were  ap 
proaching  Cambridge,  when  they  suddenly  met  four 
dragoons  in  the  British  uniform. 

They  stood  aside  to  let  them  pass ,  but  the  soldiers 
stopped  and  asked  them  several  questions.  At  last 
one  of  them  said  :  "  Ah!  I  think  I  remember  one  of 
you  —  is  not  your  name  Flint?  " 

fc<  It  is,  "  was  the  reply. 

66  Well,  I  know  you  are  a  clever  fellow.  You 
have  been  to  see  general  Washington's  batteries  at 
Roxbury,  I  suppose?  " 

"  No;  we  have  been  into  the  country.  " 

"  Come,  come,  my  lad,  no  dodging!  Tell  us 
where  you  have  been,  and  we  will  give  you  a 


crown." 


"  Give  us  the  money  first,"  said  Jerry. 

"  Well,  there  it  is,"  said  the  man,  handing  him 


FAGGOTS    FOR     THE    FIRESIDE. 

a  bright  silver  crown.     "  Now  let  us  hear  all  about 


Well,  we  have  been  into  the  country  as  I  told 
you.  The  first  day  we  got  to  Medfield  and  stayed 
with  Parson  Saunders;  he  gave  us  ham  and  eggs  for 
supper,  and  prayed  the  Lord  to  send  the  king  and 
parliament  to  Jericho,  as  he  did  Pharaoh  and  his 
host.  The  next  morning  we  shot  a  chip-squirrel 
and  caught  a  black  snake.  Then  we  went  along 
and  went  along — and — and—" 

"  Come,  come,  my  lad,"  said  the  soldier,  "  this 
won't  do.  It  seems,  like  every  body  else  in  this 
country,  you  have  a  natural  turn  for  lying ;  so  we'll  take 
you  to  General  Gage  and  he'll  get  the  truth  out  of 
you.  As  to  the  other  boy- — he  looks  too  stupid  to  be 
of  any  use  to  us.  But  you  must  jump  up  behind  me, 
and  you  shall  have  a  ride  to  Boston,  gratis." 

This  was  no  sooner  said  than  done  :  Jerry  was 
mounted  behind  the  soldier  and  rode  off  at  a  round 
gallop.  At  length  they  came  to  a  small  creek  which 
they  were  obliged  to  ford.  In  passing  this,  Jerry 
slipped  from  the  saddle,  and  as  it  was  very  dark, 
it  was  not  observed  till  he  had  gained  the  bank 
and  hidden  himself  in  some  bushes.  The  troopers 


FLINT    AND    STEEL, 


301 


made  a  slight  search, but  being  now  near  the  Amer 
ican  lines,  they  deemed  it  best  to  beat  a  retreat. 

Jerry  soon  emerged  from  the  thicket,  and  coming 
to  the  high  road,  pursued  his  way  toward  Cambridge. 
He  now  felt  in  his  pocket  to  see  that  the  letter  was  all 
safe,  and  being  satisfied  on  that  point,  he  took  out 
the  crown  and  looked  at  it  carefully.  After  a  time 
he  said  :  "  It  is  good,  although  it  has  a  wicked  old 
head  on  it.  I  must  say  that  these  red  coats  pay 
well,  for  beside  giving  me  a  crown,  this  fellow  has 
taken  me  a  mile  on  my  road."  He  then  chuckled  to 
himself  as  if  enjoying  the  joke. 

He  waited  a  short  time  for  his  companion  and 
as  he  soon  came  up  they  proceeded  to  Cambridge. 
They  readily  found  access  to  Washington  and  de 
livered  the  letter.  Having  read  it,  he  said  : 

"  I  thank  you,  my  lads,  for  this  :  it  is  most  im 
portant,  and  you  have  made  good  despatch  in  de 
livering  it.  Do  you  know  who  it  was  that  gave 
it  to  you?" 

'•  No  indeed;"  said  Jerry,  "he  did  not  tell  us 
his  name." 

"  It  was  General  Putnam !  " 

Both  the  boys  started  with  surprise.     "And  he 


FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

tells  me,  "added  Washington,  -that  he  feels  in 
terested  in  your  welfare.  If  I  can  ever  serve  you, 
pray  let  me  know." 

The  boys  departed  and  reached  home  that  night; 
and  afterwards,  many  a  time,  even  when  they  had 
grown  to  manhood,  they  told  of  their  adventures  in 
going  to  see  Old  Put's  Cave. 


Typ.  KnicslMi-ycr. 


THE     AVALANCHK. 


THE   AVALANCHE. 


Switzerland  is  a  land  of  wonders.  Its  lofty 
mountains,  some  of  them  capped  with  everlasting 
snow,  rise  over  deep  tranquil  valleys,  intersected  by 
rushing  streams  and  often  presenting  the  most  charm 
ing  lakes.  Mount  Blanc,  the  loftiest  peak,  is  a 
sort  of  Goliah  among  mountains — the  best  known 
and  the  most  formidable  of  all.  Lake  Leman  is  at 
once  the  fairest  and  the  most  celebrated  of  lakes. 

It  would  seem  that  a  country  so  broken  into 
ridges  and  precipices  and  so  covered  with  glaciers 
could  hardly  be  inhabited.  Yet  Switzerland  has  a 
population  of  more  than  two  millions  of  people,  and 
they  seem  as  much  attached  to  their  wild  country 
as  if  it  were  the  fairest  and  the  most  fruitful  spot 
on  the  earth. 


38 


304  FAGGOTS     FOR    THE     FIRESIDE. 

Among  the  wonderful  phenomena  of  this  region 
are  the  avalanches — huge  masses  of  snow  and  ice, 
which  rush  from  their  foundations  and  plunge  into 
the  valleys  and  gorges  beneath.  They  are  of  sev 
eral  kinds — some  being  masses  of  drifting  snow 
set  in  motion  by  the  wind ;  some  are  heaps  of  snow 
rolling  over  and  increasing  in  size  as  they  descend; 
some  consist  of  large  fields  of  snow  sliding  in  one 
mass  from  their  bed ;  some  are  enormous  bodies  of 
ice,  either  rolling  or  sliding  from  their  foundations. 

Travellers  who  have  been  in  Switzerland,  and 
have  witnessed  these  amazing  operations  of  nature 
describe  them  as  at  once  terrific  and  sublime.  They 
often  descend  with  a  noise  like  the  report  of  artil 
lery,  and  not  unfrequently  bury  whole  villages  be 
neath  their  stupendous  masses.  Sometimes  a  valley  is 
buried  thirty  or  forty  feet  deep  in  snow,  which  does 
not  disappear  till  late  in  the  following  summer. 
Travellers  are  thus  often  overtaken  and  overwhelmed, 
herds  of  cattle  are  buried,  houses  and  their  inhabi 
tants  are  overlaid  and  often  destroyed. 

A  few  years  since,  a  single  house,  standing  at  the 
foot  of  a  steep  mountain,  was  suddenly  overwhelmed 
by  an  avalanche  of  snow  and  buried  to  the  depth  of 


THE       AVALANCHE.  305 

thirty  feet.  The  inhabitants  heard  the  report  of 
the  mass  loosed  from  its  bed  and  descending  from 
cliff  to  cliff,  above.  Startled  by  the  ominous  sound, 
they  rushed  from  the  house,  leaving  an  infant  in  the 
cradle.  They  were  all  separated  in  their  flight  and 
buried  apart  from  one  another.  The  snow  however 
was  light  and  they  were  able  to  breathe.  The  man 
worked  his  way  back  to  the  house;  but  it  had 
taken  him  fourteen  hours,  yet  when  he  got  there,  he 
found  the  infant  safe  in  the  cradle  ! 

He  then  began  to  seek  for  the  other  members  of 
his  family.  Having  found  a  shovel,  he  was  able 
to  work  rapidly  and  to  advantage.  At  a  distance 
of  seventy  feet,  he  found  his  wife  still  alive,  but 
faint  from  the  want  of  food,  she  having  been  in  the 
snow  nearly  two  days. 

All  the  other  members  of  the  family  were  found 
except  a  boy  of  about  four  years  old.  After  intense 
labor  for  ten  days  they  gave  up  the  search,  conclu 
ding  lhat  he  was  dead;  for  even  if  he  escaped  perish 
ing  from  the  cold,  he  must  have  been  famished  from 
the  want  of  food. 

They  excavated  passages  from  the  house  to  the 
stable  where  they  found  their  two  cows,  and  they  also 


306  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

discovered  three  goats  after  they  had  been  buried 
for  nearly  a  fortnight.  These  were  found  standing 
together,  and  in  order  to  subsist  they  had  eaten  off 
all  the  hair  from  one  another! 

Beneath  the  mass  of  snow  the  family  lived  till  the 
spring;  they  had  made  galleries  from  one  place  to 
another,  like  the  streets  of  a  city;  and  it  was  not 
till  the  month  of  May  that  they  were  delivered  from 
their  prison.  Even  then,  the  snow  lay  in  masses  of 
eight  or  ten  feet  in  depth.  It  was  however  so  solid 
as  to  permit  them  to  walk  upon  it.  They  now 
went  to  find  their  neighbors  who  lived  in  a  valley 
immediately  below  them.  They  found  them  still 
alive,  and  to  their  unspeakable  joy  and  surprise,  they 
here  discovered  their  missing  child  who  had  been 
borne  away  by  the  snow  of  the  avalanche,  and  de 
posited  near  the  door  of  the  cottage  in  the  valley.  He 
was  entirely  unhurt  though  benumbed  with  cold. 
After  some  care  he  was  restored,  and  remained  with 
his  new  friends,  till  spring  permitted  his  parents  to 
go  abroad  and  hold  communion  with  their  neigh 
bors. 


SONGS  OF   THE  SEASONS, 


i. 

JANUARY. 

Month  of  frost  and  month  of  snow, 
Let  your  biting  breezes  blow  : 
Bind  in  chains  the  trembling  river, 
Bid  the  forest  moan  and  shiver, 
Pile  the  clouds  in  blackening  heaps, 
Lash  to  foam  the  briny  deeps; 
Riding  on  thy  snowy  drift, 
Hurl  thy  arrows  keen  and  swift ; 
Make  the  traveller  mend  his  pace ; 
Give  the  lagging  school  boy  chase ; 
Bid  the  farmer  house  his  cattle ; 
Make  the  loosened  windows  rattle; 
Down  the  hollow  chimney  roar; 
Down  the  spout  the  hail-storm  pour; 
Puff  and  blow  at  open  door; 
Bite  poor  goose's  crimson  toes; 
Tingle  poor  old  Towser's  nose : 


308  FAGGOTS     FOR   THE     FIRESIDE. 

Mid  the  crockery  make  a  clatter ; 
Crack  the  pitcher,  break  the  platter  — 
I  forgive  thee — 'tis  no  matter — 
For  thou  bringest  NEW  YEAR'S  DAY  ! 
With  its  merry  snow  ball  flinging, 
With  its  merry  sleigh-bells  ringing, 
With  its  skating,  with  its  sliding, 
With  its  joyous  down-hill  riding  ! 

II. 

FEBRUARY. 

Down,  down  the  snow 

Is  falling  slow, 
Powdering  the  bald-pate  trees; 

With  myriad  flakes 

A  blanket  it  makes, 
Over  the  sleeping  leaves. 

Fierce  now  the  blast! 

The  snow  flies  fast, 
And  whirls  in  many  a  spray  — 
Wreath  chases  wreath, 

O'er  hill  and  heath, 
Like  spirits  in  their  play. 

Jack  frost  is  out, 
And  drives  about — 
The  white  drift  for  his  sled — 


SONGS    OF    THE    SEASONS.  309 

Loud  roars  the  gale — 
The  child  turns  pale, 

And  hugs  his  trundle-bed! 
The  storm  is  past, 
Gone,  gone  the  blast! 

The  moon  shines  fair  and  bright- 
Come,  girl  and  boy, 
With  shout  of  joy— 

We'll  have  a  slide  to-night! 

III. 

MARCH. 

March  is  like  a  child, 
Now  gentle  and  now  wild ; 
To  day  the  soft  winds  blow, 
To  morrow  it  doth  snow. 

March  is  like  a  rill, 

Now  roaring  and  now  still: 

To  day  the  blast  is  stinging, 

To  morrow  birds  are  singing, 

March  is  like  a  cloud , 

Now  bright  and  now  a  shroud: 

To  day  the  warm  rain  falls, 

To  morrow  we  have  squalls. 

March  is  like  a  bear, 
With  sharp  claws  and  soft  hair : 
To  day  it's  rough  and  wild, 
To  morrow,  all  is  mild. 


310  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE, 

IV. 

APRIL. 

March  is  gone  like  lion  roaring, 
April  comes  in  torrents  pouring! 
Down  the  steep  roof  let  it  rush, 
Down  the  hill-side  let  it  gush, 
Welcome  with  your  sunlit  shower, 
Come  to  wake  the  sweet  May-flower i 

Patter,  patter,  let  it  pour! 

Patter,  patter,  let  it  roar ! 

Let  the  gaudy  lighting  flash  — 

Let  the  headlong  thunder  dash — 

Tis  the  welcome  April  shower 

Which  will  wake  the  sweet  May-flower. 

Patter,  patter,  let  it  pour! 

Patter,  patter,  let  it  roar! 

Soon  the  clouds  will  burst  away — 

Soon  will  shine  the  bright  spring  day, 

And  the  welcome  April  shower 

Will  awake  the  sweet  May-flower  f 

Ah!  the  sun  is  shining  out: 
List  the  school  boy's  joyous  shout! 
See  the  birds  all  northward  winging — 
Hear  the  blue  bird's  tender  singing! 
Hark !  The  busy  hive  is  humming, 
Spring  is  come,  or  spring  is  coming. 


SONGS  OF  THE  SEASONS.  311 

V. 

MAY. 

MERRY. 

Where  hast  thou  been  for  many  a  day, 
Since  last  we  parted,  month  of  May! 

MAY. 

That's  a  question,  Mr.  Merry, 
Very  hard  to  answer — very! 
Tell  me  where  the  rainbow  hides — 
Tell  me  where  the  zephyr  bides — 
Tell  me  where  the  sunbeam  stays — 
Where  goes  the  candle's  parted  blaze — 
Where  we  shall  find  the  echo's  bed — 
Where  the  wild  sea-wave  lays  its  head — 
Tell  me  this,  and  tell  me  true, 
And  I'll  freely  answer  you. 

MERRY. 

Pretty  May,  thy  wit  is  keen- 
But  on  thy  lip  a  smile  is  seen— 
Thou  hast  thy  joke — now,  prithee,  say, 
Where  hast  thou  been,  sweet  month  of  May ! 

MAY. 

Far  southward— o'er  the  hill  and  dell, 
Where  rivers  wind,  and  forests  swell- 
Where  buds  are  bursting  into  flowers— 
Where  birds  are  nestling  in  their  bowers — 

39 


312  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

Where  music  comes  from  bush  and  tree  — 
Where  new-born  honey  feeds  the  bee  — 
Where  boys  and  girls  are  out  a  Maying — 
There — there  I've  been, and  there  I'm  staying. 

VI. 

JUNE. 

The  sun  shines  fair  o'er  flood  and  field, 
And  all  around  is  leaf  and  bloom  — 
The  meadows  now  their  harvest  yield, 
And  zephyrs  waft  their  sweet  perfume. 

The  rivulet  saunters  smooth  and  slow, 
Mid  bordering  grass  and  stooping  flowers: 
The  birds  are  whispering  soft  and  low 
To  young  ones  in  their  thicket-bowers. 

The  gabbling  goose  with  pensive  air, 
Leads  forth  her  goslings  o'er  the  lake, 
While  quacking  duck  and  ducklings,  there, 
In  silent  bliss  their  muddle  take. 

The  busy  hen,  neath  sheltering  shrubs, 
Plies  swift  and  strong  her  vigorous  claw, 
And  feasts  her  brood  with  unctuous  grubs, 
Raked  forth  from  scattered  leaves  and  straw. 

Sweet,  tranquil  June!  of  all  the  year, 
The  brightest,  fairest  month  artthou: 
Summer's  first  glories,  all  so  dear, 
Are  wreathed  around  thy  sunny  brow. 


SONGS  OF  THE  SEASONS.  313 

The  young  —  the  old  —  they  love  thee  best  — 
Thy  sun,  thy  shade,  thy  breath,  thy  showers — 
Thy  tranquil  day,  thy  gentle  rest, 
Thou,  placid,  soothing  month  of  flowers. 


VII. 


JULY. 

Midsummer  month — the  farmer's  hope  and  fear, 
Season  of  burning  sun  and  thickening  bower, 
Of  parching  drought  that  crisps  the  ripening  ear, 
Of  pealing  thunder  and  of  dashing  shower. 

What  though  thy  mornings  weep  with  dripping  dcw,- 
The  coming  noontide  drinks  the  vital  air, 
The  burning  landscape  quivers  to  the  view, 
As  if  etheread  flames  its  surface  bare. 

Now  droops  the  herd  beneath  the  forest  bough , 
The  lolling  ox  along  the  furrow  drags, 
The  ploughman  follows  with  a  streaming  brow, 
And  in  his  path  the  languid  school-boy  lags. 

Yet  still  the  golden  harvest  waves  afar, 
Or  sinks  beneath  the  rustic  reaper's  hand, 
Or  loads  the  heavy  wain  whose  groaning  jar, 
Bespeaks  the  plenty  of  the  joyous  land. 


314  FAGGOTS    FOR     THE     FIRESIDE, 

VIII. 

AUGUST. 

Languid  the  pulse  of  nature  flows, 
Like  yonder  shrunken,  winding  stream  — 
Yet  every  where,  a  fever  glows, 
That  will  not  let  you  sleep  or  dream. 

By  day,  the  flics  insult  your  nose, 
By  night,  the  sly  musquito  slings  — 
Or  if  perchance  you  fondly  doze, 
He  wakes  you  with  his  elvish  wings. 

If  you  would  take  the  evening  air, 
Some  beetle  bangs  you  in  the  face  — 
If  to  your  pillow  you  repair  — 
Why,  sleep  is  in  some  other  place ! 

Tis  said  the  dog-star  rules  and  reigns , 
His  fiery  brain  on  mischief  set, — 
If  you'd  escape  his  woes  and  pains, 
Eat  light,  keep  cool,  and  do  not  fret! 

IX. 

SEPTEMBER. 

Sweet  month,  I'm  glad  to  meet  theo, 
With  all  my  heart  I  greet  thee  — - 
I  love  thy  very  name, 
I  love  thy  deeds,  thy  fame, 


SONGS  OF  THE    SEASONS.  315 

Thy  grapes  in  'bunches  clinging, 
Thy  pears  in  hundreds  swinging, 
Thy  peaches  full  of  nectar, 
Thy  berries  which  perfect  are, 
Thy  apples  sweet  and  juicy, 
Thy  melons  rich  and  sluicy  : 
I  love  thy  very  looks , 
Thy  air,  thy  lawns,  thy  brooks — 
Thy  birds  of  varied  feather — 
The  young  and  old  together, 
Now  feasting  and  now  singing — 
Now  resting  and  now  winging— 
Thy  landscapes  somewhat  sober, 
Thy  forests  like  October; 
Thy  hills  in  azure  dressed, 
Thy  vales,  like  regions  blest; 
That  gentle  spirit  seeming 
From  out  thy  bosom  beaming 
Half  Autumn  and  half  Summer— 
A  smiling,  pensive  comer — 
Making,  as  all  remember 
With  gratitude,  September! 

X. 

OCTOBER. 

See,  the  gaudy  flowers  are  fled — 
Rose  and  lily,  all  are  dead ; 
The  forest  leaf  is  sere  and  yellow, 
But  the  fruit  is  ripe  and  mellow! 


316  FAGGOTS     FOR     THE     FIRESIDE. 

Summer  came  with  rosy  bloom, 
Breathing  incense  and  perfume; 
But  she  leaves  the  field  to  me — 
Gentle  friends,  come  here  and  see! 

There  hangs  the  grape,  and  there  the  pear, 
The  apple  swings  abundant  there, 
And  hark!  in  yonder  wood  I  hear 
The  rattling  nut,  to  childhood  dear. 

You  say,  perchance,  that  I  am  sober — 
A  melancholy,  grave  October, 
But  still  you  eat  my  fruit,  I  see, 
And  thus,  methinks,  make  love  to  me! 

And  mark —  the  yellow  Indian  corn 
In  groaning  waggons  homeward  borne — 
While  beets,  potatoes,  turnips —  still 
October  *s  gift — your  cellars  fill. 

And  see,  o'er  yonder  hill  and  plain, 
The  mild  and  tranquil  season  reign ; 
Your  garners  full,  your  hearts  at  rest, 
By  smiling  peace  and  plenty  blest. 

What  though  the  forest  yield  its  leaves, 
What  though  the  stricken  meadow  grieves — 
Still  house  and  home  are  full  and  fast — 
So  let  old  Winter  blow  his  blast! 


SONGS  OF  THE  SEASONS.  317 

XI. 

NOVEMBER. 

The  summer  departed, 
So  gentle  and  brief — 
Pale  Autumn  is  come 
With  its  sere  yellow  leaf: 
Its  breath  in  the  vale, 
Its  voice  in  the  breeze, 
A  many  hued  garment 
Is  over  the  trees! 

In  red  and  in  purple, 
The  leaves  seem  to  bloom  — 
The  stern  slayer  comes  — 
It  hath  spoken  their  doom  ! 
And  those  that  may  seem 
With  rubies  to  vie — 
They  tell  us  that  beauty 
Blooms  only  to  die ! 

Yet  sad  as  the  whispers 
Of  sorrow  its  breath. 
And  touching  its  hues 
As  the  garment  of  death, 
Still  autumn,  though  sad, 
And  mournful  it  be— 
Is  one  of  the  dearest 
Of  seasons  to  me ! 


318  FAGGOTS  FOR  THE  FIRESIDE. 

Come  —  look  on  the  landscape 
Now  mantled  in  blue, 
By  the  soft  Indian  summer 
Thrown  over  the  view — 
How  tranquil,  how  pensive, 
The  hushed  bosom's  bliss, 
Communing  with  nature 
In  seasons  like  this! 

Come,  come  to  the  forest, 
Now  silent  and  lone — 
Its  minstrelsy  hushed, 
The  minstrels  all  flown  : 
Yet  a  spirit  is  breathing 
The  echoless  air, 
And  it  speaks  to  the  spirit 
That  worshippeth  there ! 

Come,  come  to  the  forest — 
The  winds  are  awake — 
The  leaves  drift  in  eddies — 
The  groaning  oaks  quake- 
On  list!  fora  voice  «, 
Of  heavenly  tone, 
Would  wake  in  thy  bosom. 
Thoughts  deep  as  its  own! 


SONGS  OF  THE  SEASONS.  319 

XII. 

DECEMBER. 

Who  hath  killed  the  pretty  flowers 
Born  and  bred  in  summer  bowers? 
Who  hath  taken  away  their  bloom? 
Who  hath  sent  them  to  their  tomb? 
December! 

Who  hath  chased  the  birds  so  gay, 
Lark  and  linnet,  all  away? 
Who  hath  hushed  their  joyous  breast, 
And  made  the  forest  still  as  death ! 
December ! 

Who  hath  chilled  the  laughing  river? 
Who  doth  make  the  old  oak  shiver? 
Who  hath  wrapped  the  world  in  snow? 
Who  doth  make  the  wild  windsblow? 
December ! 

Who  doth  ride  on  snowy  drift 
When  the  night  wind's  keen  and  swift — 
O'er  the  land  and  o'er  the  sea  — 
Bent  on  mischief  —  who  is  he? 
December! 

Who  doth  strike  with  icy  dart, 
The  way-worn  traveller  to  the  heart? 
Who  doth  make  the  ocean-wave — 
The  seaman's  home— the  seaman's  grave? 
December! 


320  FAGGOTS    FOR    THE     FIRESIDE. 

Who  doth  prowl  at  midnight  hour, 
Like  a  thief  around  the  door, 
Through  each  crack  and  crevice  creeping, 
Through  the  very  key-hole  peeping? 
December! 

Who  doth  pinch  the  traveller's  toes? 
Who  doth  wring  the  school-boy's  nose? 
Who  doth  make  your  fingers  tingle  ? 
Who  doth  make  the  sleigh  bells  jingle? 
December! 


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EXPOSITION  OF  THE  GRAMMATICAL  STRUCTURE  OF 
THE  ENGLISH  LANGUAGE. 

BY  JOHN  MULLIGAN,  A.  M. 

Large  12mo.     574  pages.     $1  50. 

This  work  is  a  comprehensive  and  complete  system  of  English 
Grammar,  embracing  not  only  all  that  has  been  developed  by  the  later 
philologists,  but  also  the  results  of  years  of  study  and  research  on  the 
part  of  its  author.  One  great  advantage  of  this  book  is  its  admirable 
arrangement.  Instead  of  proceeding  at  once  to  the  dry  details  which 
are  distasteful  and  discouraging  to  the  pupil,  Mr.  M.  commences  by 
viewing  the  sentence  as  a  whole,  analyzing  it  into  its  proper  parts,  and 
exhibiting  their  connection ;  and,  after  having  thus  parsed  the  sentence 
logically,  proceeds  to  consider  the  individual  words  that  compose  it,  in 
all  their  grammatical  relations.  This  is  the  natural  order ;  and  expe 
rience  proves  that  the  arrangement  here  followed  not  only  imparts 
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insight  into  it,  and  greatly  facilitates  his  progress. 

From  DR.  JAMES  W.  ALEXANDER. 

"  I  thank  you  for  the  opportunity  of  perusing  your  work  on  the  structure  of  the 
English  language.  It  strikes  me  as  being  one  of  the  most  valuable  contributions  to  this 
important  branch  of  literature.  The  mode  of  investigation  is  so  unlike  what  appears 
In  our  ordinary  compilations,  the  reasoning  is  so  sound,  and  the  results  are  so  satisfac 
tory  and  so  conformable  to  the  genius  and  great  authorities  of  our  mother  tongue,  that 
I  propose  to  recur  to  it  again  and  again.1' 

Extract  from  a  letter  from  E.  C.  BENEDICT,  Esq.,  President  of  the  Board  of  Educa 
tion  of  the  City  of  New  York. 

"  I  have  often  thought  our  language  needed  some  work  in  which  the  principles  of 
grammatical  science  and  of  the  structure  of  the  language,  philosophically  considered, 
were  developed  and  applied  to  influence  and  control  the  usus  and  consuedo  of  Horace 
and  Quintilian,  which  seem  to  me  to  have  been  too  often  the  principal  source  of  sole 
cisms,  irregularity  and  corruption.  In  this  point  of  view,  I  consider  your  work  a  valu 
able  and  appropriate  addition  to  the  works  on  the  language." 

from  WM.  HORACE  WEBSTER,  President  of  the  free  Academy,  New  York. 

"The  exposition  of  the  grammatical  structure  of  the  English  language  by  Professor 
Mulligan,  of  this  city,  is  a  work,  in  my  opinion,  of  great  merit,  and  well  calculated  to 
impart  a  thorough  and  critical  knowledge  of  the  grammar  of  the  English  language. 

"  No  earnest  English  student  can  fail  to  profit  by  the  study  of  this  treatise,  yet  it  is 
designed  more  parti culary  for  minds  somewhat  maturer,  and  for  pupils  who  are  capable 
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DICTIONARY  OF  THE  ENGLISH  LANGUAGE 

BY  ALEXANDEE  EEID,  A.  M. 

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An  Accented  List  of  GREEK,  LATIN,  and  SCRIPTURE  proper  names. 

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most  important  GEOGRAPHICAL  names. 

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From  C.  S.  HENEY,  Professor  of  Philsosophy,  History,  and  Belles-Lettres,  in  tlie 
University  of  the  City  of  New  York. 

"  Eeid's  Dictionary  of  the  English  Language  is  an  admirable  book  for  the  use  ol 
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be  found  excellent  as  a  convenient  manual  for  general  reference,  and  also  for  various 
purposes  of  education." 


GRAHAM'S   ENGLISH   SYNONYMS, 
CLASSIFIED  AND  EXPLAINED; 

WITH   PRACTICAL   EXERCISES.       DESIGNED   FOR   SCHOOLS   AND   PRIVATE  TUITION 
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positive  and  negative ;  and  as  miscellaneous  synonyms. 

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HISTORY  OF  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

BY  WILLIAM  SPALDING,  A.  M. 

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